Purposeful Shift from What and Why to How Using Engineering Standards

Introduction: During a recent comprehensive curriculum redesign, individual lecture and correlated laboratory courses were integrated into single lecture-laboratory courses. In addition, the curriculum redesign incorporated engineering standards throughout the curriculum rather than reserving knowledge and application of standards to capstone courses. In core biomedical engineering lecture-laboratory courses, engineering standards education changed from being knowledge content to being the course driver to enhance learning and workforce preparation. This purposeful shift in engineering standards education from contemplation (what and why) to preparation (how) ensured students possessed experience using process, test method, and performance standards amid inquiry-based learning. A work-in-progress study is presented for the first implementation of the purposeful shift in a 15-week, large (>150) undergraduate student lecture-laboratory class. Early feedback suggests that using engineering standards as a course driver enhances student learning and provides experience applying engineering standards critical for medical device design.

Materials and

Methods: A core junior-level course entitled Biological Interactions and Testing (BMEN 344) is a test bed. The 3-credit hour integrated lecture-laboratory class occurred over 15 weeks, meeting 2 hours per week for lecture and 3 hours per week for laboratory. The 2024 course consisted of 171 students, two lecture instructors, one laboratory instructor, and eight graduate teaching assistants. Table 1 illustrates the engineering standards introduced and applied by the students as well as the inquiry-based prompt, skills gained through experiential learning, and knowledge content of the lecture and lab. Students had full access to a library of engineering standards purchased and maintained by the department. Students tested SS316L (metal), alumina (ceramic), and ABS (polymer) as biomaterials using a variety of controls, including copper, HDPE, and medical gauze.

Student surveys and exam grades were assessed to ascertain the effect of integration and use of engineering standards. Three exams used for summative assessment in the lecture component of the course were compared in exam grades in 2022 and 2023. Lecture instructors were the same in 2022-2024 and exam questions were selected from a question bank compiled by the instructors.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: Results
The 15-week engineering standards-driven, integrated lecture-laboratory course was successfully deployed. Table 2 provides selected survey results, suggesting that student learning was enhanced. Analysis of the course’s three exams demonstrates that the three individual exam scores increased in 2024 compared to 2022 and 2023 (p < 0.05) with an average increase of 6.3 points. This naturally resulted in a correlated shift in the grade distributions. Laboratory quizzes also demonstrate that students synthesized lecture material well and fully grasped the engineering standards.

Conclusions
This work-in-progress study suggests that engineering standards can successfully drive the development of knowledge and skills competencies. Specifically, engineering standards used for medical device design can provide the pedagogical framework and context for teaching biological interactions and testing of biomaterials. Moreover, the engineering standards support the integration of lecture-lab courses, providing a common linchpin in the diversity of team teaching. Finally, standards-driven experiential learning prepares students for the workforce by exposing them to the standards and building their confidence in understanding and employing the standards.

Discussion
This is an early work-in-progress study of a junior core integrated lecture-laboratory class. Further assessment of the standards-driven aspect and downstream effects on student learning needs to occur. For instance, do engineering standards-driven core classes positively affect the senior capstone courses? Finally, the end of the semester occurred during the abstract deadline and full end-of-semester feedback and assessment necessarily requires completion.

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