Board 21: Work-In-Progress: The Influence of Digital and In-Person Pedagogical Interventions on Undergraduate Biomedical Engineers

Victoria Rose Garza; Joel Alejandro Mejia; Teja Guda

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Biomedical Engineering Division (BED) Poster Session
Tagged Division: Biomedical Engineering Division (BED)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46777

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Paper Authors

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Victoria Rose Garza The University of Texas at San Antonio orcid.org/0009-0004-5295-9202

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Victoria Garza is a first-year biomedical engineering doctoral student at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She received her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biomedical sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Additionally, she is one of nine recipients of the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) fellowship at UTSA.

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Joel Alejandro Mejia The University of Texas at San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0003-3908-9930

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Dr. Joel Alejandro (Alex) Mejia is an Associate Professor with joint appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering and the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He received his B.S. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso in 2007, his M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from The University of Utah in 2013, and his Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Utah State University in 2014. His research has contributed to the critical analysis engineering knowledge within sociocultural and sociopolitical contexts, the impact of critical consciousness in engineering practice, and the development of culturally responsive pedagogies.

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Teja Guda The University of Texas at San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0002-3218-2916

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Abstract

Students enrolled in lecture-heavy (commonly known as traditional) undergraduate engineering courses often have difficulty retaining information and struggle connecting content learned to real-world experiences. This inclination raises concerns regarding the preparedness of recently graduated engineers, particularly in their capacity to find solutions for problems they will encounter in their careers by thinking critically. Often, the difficulty with applying the content learned while pursuing their undergraduate degree may be attributed to courses not providing ample opportunities to explore the complexity of engineering problems, particularly within biomedical engineering. This work in progress paper aims to explore whether there is a correlation between the lack of conceptional knowledge among biomedical engineering students and the pedagogical interventions used in a tissue mechanics course.

To address this dissonance in learning and integration, we suggest that the use of the digital learning tool Perusall and case studies in an undergraduate tissue mechanics course has the potential of providing students with an opportunity to improve their conceptual understanding of biomedical engineering concepts. The overall goal of this work in progress is to determine the potential of Perusall and case studies to help students engage in scientific argumentation, as well as its potential to collect qualitative data for the improvement of biomedical engineering education. In summary, this study seeks to explore how the implementation of Perusall and case studies as pedagogical strategies could possibly help students overcome the challenge of connecting content to real world applications.

This work in progress is grounded on the idea that both digital and in-person socialization and discussion play an integral part in scientific argumentation and the professional development of future biomedical engineers. Data collection for this study will include student observations, student artifacts, and discussions both online (Perusall) and in person (case studies). The qualitative data collected will be analyzed through both open and axial coding to determine the ways in which students interpret, process, and analyze the content of the material presented to them through Perusall and case studies. The results obtained from the study are intended to structure the course and better understand where there may be gaps in content comprehension and misconceptions for students.

Future directions of this research would consist of continuing to evaluate whether there is improvement in the development of students’ scientific argumentation ability and their capability to grasp the taught content to apply it to biomedical applications after the implementation. This, in turn, will guide the impact that engineering educators may have in the classroom through effective pedagogical strategies that will help better prepare their students to become effective engineers.

Citation
Format

Garza, V. R., & Mejia, J. A., & Guda, T. (2024, June), Board 21: Work-In-Progress: The Influence of Digital and In-Person Pedagogical Interventions on Undergraduate Biomedical Engineers Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46777

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Students enrolled in lecture-heavy (commonly known as traditional) undergraduate engineering courses often have difficulty retaining information and struggle connecting content learned to real-world experiences. This inclination raises concerns regarding the preparedness of recently graduated engineers, particularly in their capacity to find solutions for problems they will encounter in their careers by thinking critically. Often, the difficulty with applying the content learned while pursuing their undergraduate degree may be attributed to courses not providing ample opportunities to explore the complexity of engineering problems, particularly within biomedical engineering. This work in progress paper aims to explore whether there is a correlation between the lack of conceptional knowledge among biomedical engineering students and the pedagogical interventions used in a tissue mechanics course.  

To address this dissonance in learning and integration, we suggest that the use of the digital learning tool Perusall and case studies in an undergraduate tissue mechanics course has the potential of providing students with an opportunity to improve their conceptual understanding of biomedical engineering concepts. The overall goal of this work in progress is to determine the potential of Perusall and case studies to help students engage in scientific argumentation, as well as its potential to collect qualitative data for the improvement of biomedical engineering education. In summary, this study seeks to explore how the implementation of Perusall and case studies as pedagogical strategies could possibly help students overcome the challenge of connecting content to real world applications.  

This work in progress is grounded on the idea that both digital and in-person socialization and discussion play an integral part in scientific argumentation and the professional development of future biomedical engineers. Data collection for this study will include student observations, student artifacts, and discussions both online (Perusall) and in person (case studies). The qualitative data collected will be analyzed through both open and axial coding to determine the ways in which students interpret, process, and analyze the content of the material presented to them through Perusall and case studies. The results obtained from the study are intended to structure the course and better understand where there may be gaps in content comprehension and misconceptions for students.  

Future directions of this research would consist of continuing to evaluate whether there is improvement in the development of students’ scientific argumentation ability and their capability to grasp the taught content to apply it to biomedical applications after the implementation. This, in turn, will guide the impact that engineering educators may have in the classroom through effective pedagogical strategies that will help better prepare their students to become effective engineers.
AU  - Victoria Rose Garza
AU  - Joel Alejandro Mejia
AU  - Teja Guda
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 21: Work-In-Progress: The Influence of Digital and In-Person Pedagogical Interventions on Undergraduate Biomedical Engineers
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46777
ER  -