Development of a Web-enhanced Senior Biomedical Engineering

Design Course

Paul H King

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Vanderbilt University

Overview

• History

• Current Structure

• Process & Evaluation - first term

• Process & Evaluation - second term

• Output(s)

• Examples

• Conclusions

History

• 1989 - Optional 3 credit senior year (lab/project) few

• 1990 - Optional 3 credit (lecture/project) 9

• 1991 - Required 3 credit “ 24?

• 1997/98 - Required 3-3 (lecture/project, project) 60

Current Structure: 1997-1998

• Students: 60, about 1/3 BME/EE, 1-2 BME/ChE, seniors

• 3 Fall, 3 Spring• Objective: Learn & Do Design• Lectures, Reengineering project, Design Project• Computer Lab, Design Lab, Sponsor• Software (Office, VB,VC++, FrontPage, Project)

Process: First Term

• Guests: Projects, Careers, Info Gathering, QA/QI, Safety

• King Lectures: design, brainstorming, forensics, patents, regulations, ...

• Reverse Engineering

• Lecture Summary, notes on web

• Exam over the above

• Select Project, write proposal, begin …

Evaluation: Fall Term:

• Class survey (1), CO2 homework(1)• JellyBelly Plant tour/itemization (1)• NSF assignments (3), Topic (1)• Midterm (30), Reports (10) • Database (10), Safety (3)• Re-engineering Project (25)• Formal Proposal (10), Web (5)• VB extra credit assignment (5)

Process: Second Term

• Weekly Progress Reports unless oral

• Monthly Oral Reports

• Web updates

• Final Poster Session

• Final Written Report

Evaluation: Spring Term

• 10% Oral & PowerPoint Presentations

• 10% Weekly reports the other weeks

• 10% Complete web presentation

• 10% Poster session judge 1

• 10% Poster session judge 2

• 30% Advisor grade

• 20% Instructor grade

Projects (1998):

• Primarily Software - 11

• Primarily Hardware - 16

• Hardware/Software - 5

• Process - 2

Example List:

• Development of a software module for ECMO training

• Advisory Defibrillator Study

• Drug/Anesthetic interaction/warning system

• Harris-Hillman Special Education Projects

• Design of a scar-reducing bra

• Multifunctional Data Acquisition and Analysis Device

Negative Comments

• want to see other’s projects

• want more FDA & Patents

• personality conflict 5

• want improved expectations

• want more motivation• want more structure 3• want earlier 2

Positive Comments

• individual attention 2• e-mail quick &

efficient 2• all info on the web 3• “real world” 4• web design

• no class 2• inclusive3• organized 2• fair• presentations

Conclusions

• Web postings - appreciated

• Student web access - learned/useful

• E-mail - efficient

• Plan to continue/upgrade

• Industrial projects - more needed!

• Course via web? TBA

Useful Links:

• http://www.bme.vanderbilt.edu/King/oral_presentation_schedule.htm

• http://www.bme.vanderbilt.edu/King/bme272.htm

• http://www.bme.vanderbilt.edu/King/bme273.htm

• http://www.bme.vanderbilt.edu/King/BME_design_links.htm