2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper presents a study on the integration of game-based learning techniques into core courses of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering with the aim of improving student engagement and fostering interest in STEM education. We investigate the development of custom-designed educational games that align with the learning objectives of bioengineering and electrical engineering curricula. These games focus on delving deeper into the important aspects of each core course to improve retention of the material and engagement for the students, while trying to lower the fears that may exist with new concepts and material. In this paper, we provide a variety of examples of game based activities that can be implemented or adapted into your own curricula. These examples span the range from Sudoku, to word searches, to puzzles based in MATLAB for students to interact with.

Furthermore, this paper discusses the challenges and barriers associated with the adoption of game-based learning in STEM education and provides insights into effective strategies for faculty and institutions to overcome these obstacles. We discuss how class demographics may change the adoption and inclusivity of certain games and may result in overall lower engagement, as well as how we can address this.