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2004-730

Optimizing Student Learning in a BME Capstone Design Course Sequence Richard J. Jendrucko Jack F. Wasserman Biomedical Engineering Program The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Introduction

The undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was initiated in the fall of 2000. The 136 semester-hour curriculum was designed to prepare students for a variety of careers and to meet ABET accreditation requirements. Among the most prominent of the ABET requirements is that the curriculum include a capstone design experience. For this purpose, all seniors must complete a two-course design sequence (BME 455, 469). In keeping with the model used by other undergraduate programs (mechanical and aerospace engineering) in the parent Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, the first (fall semester) course is a two-hour course while the following spring course is a four-hour course for a total of six semester hours of senior design. With the consistent format students enrolled in any of the three departmental majors can petition to utilize any of the three design course sequences in their curriculum depending on their technical interests.

As is true with any curriculum, the major challenge is to design and administer each individual course in a manner to maximize student learning and satisfaction. A design course sequence presents many significant challenges related to both technical content and "people issues." The manner in which these have been dealt with effectively in the BME 455 - 469 course sequence is detailed below.

Course Objectives

The objective of the BME design course sequence is for students to learn essential design methods and skills and to be able to function efficiently and effectively as individuals and as members of design teams. Specifically, students must be able to perform a comprehensive project literature review including a patent survey, and they must formulate product design objectives and specifications and develop design alternatives. Students must be able to evaluate alternative designs and select the particular design best meeting the stated objectives. Students must learn how to build, test and optimize prototypes. They must know how to present their design effectively to "management" Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Jendrucko, R. (2004, June), Optimizing Student Learning In A Bme Capstone Design Course Sequence Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13957