2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

While knowledge gain and problem-based learning are crucial in any engineering education including biomedical engineering (BME), equally important is retention of technical skills that enhance the employability of graduating students. As such, continued exposure to tools and techniques will help students retain and improve their technical aptitude. Among these critical skillsets required to enter the workforce are design including computer-aided design (CAD), computational simulation, 3D printing, testing the materials, and analyzing and interpreting the data. We have previously shown that early student exposure to SolidWorks improved their confidence, motivation, and knowledge in CAD and simulation, demonstrating a need to continue student education in working with these tools (reference omitted for review). In undergraduate BME curriculum at the [omitted for review], students are currently exposed to SolidWorks to design and simulate materials in sophomore year and 3D printing during yearlong Senior Design capstone course. This calls for revamping of junior-level courses to ensure sustained knowledge in 3D modeling and introduction to 3D printing before the students embark on their senior year.
To this end, a new lab module for Biomaterials, a junior-level core course, was developed where students are asked to design and simulate a polymeric sample on SolidWorks, 3D print it and test its mechanical properties using Instron. The goal of this work-in-progress research is to investigate the educational benefits of this new lab module. Pre-/post-survey will be employed to assess student confidence, self-efficacy and motivation in SolidWorks modeling and simulations and 3D printing as well as how this lab module helps shape their identity as an engineer. Post-lab quiz on the technical knowledge of the lab module will help assess learning outcomes of the lab. We anticipate that this new lab module will result in a significant increase in knowledge of SolidWorks, 3D printing and biomaterials testing. In addition, we expect that students will demonstrate increased motivation and confidence in materials design, simulation and testing through SolidWorks. Finally, we foresee enhanced perception of their identity as an engineer. Overall, the addition of this lab module will benefit students not only in the rest of their undergraduate tenure, for instance in Senior Design and their research, but also their post-college careers.