2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at XXXX has witnessed a 142% increase in undergraduate student enrollment. This increase and other factors resulted in the development of a new undergraduate curriculum that launches fall of 2023 [1]. All core and elective courses have been assessed for gaps, redundancies, and bottlenecks and redesigned – except one non-lecture-based or lab-based course, namely the high-impact engineering course required by XXXX’s College of Engineering. The high-impact course ensures that students have the opportunity outside the formal classroom setting to develop essential and professional skills such as communication, problem-solving, organization, leadership, teamwork, adaptability, creativity, interpersonal skills, and global competency. This work evaluates the high-impact course over four semesters to determine if a course redesign is necessary.

The biomedical engineering curriculum at XXXX requires a zero-credit-hour course entitled XXXX: Engineering Professional Development as a requirement of graduation. Students must participate in an approved high-impact engineering-centric experience or activity that is commensurate with a junior or senior undergraduate level. To receive credit for the high-impact experience, students must submit a reflection assignment.

The two-page reflection assignment requires a 0.5-page descriptive summary of the high-impact experience and a 1.5-page discussion about how the experience impacted the student and their education. Specifically, they must address the following three questions: (1) What did you learn beyond your technical education from this experience? (2) How will you apply this experience to your career and professional life? and (3) What recommendations can you make to future students about how to maximize the value of their high-impact experience?

Four semesters (fall 2021, spring 2022, summer 2022, and fall 2022) totaling 168 students will be analyzed. A table of defined and approved high-impact experiences available to students will be provided. The reflection assignments from the cohort of students will be analyzed for the type of engineering-centric activity experienced: career enrichment experience, clinical immersion experience, design challenge, industry immersion experience, or research experience. In addition, students’ reflection assignments will be scored for the foundational, technical, and professional competencies enhanced by the high-impact experience. The department has defined 23 curriculum outcomes or competencies that define a professional engineer matriculating through its program [2].

This work in progress serves as a foundational study for delineating what deeper analyses are required and suggesting what interventions may be needed to ensure the high-impact experiences meet the intended outcomes and prepare students for the workforce.

References:
1. XXXX, Guiding a curriculum redesign using a teleological approach: application of Kotter’s change model, Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 10/2022.
2. XXXX et al., Process for faculty-driven, data-informed curriculum continuity review in biomedical engineering, Biomedical Engineering Education, 2022. doi.org/10.1007/s43683-021-00063-y