Integrating problem-based learning in a first-year Biomedical Engineering Laboratory course

Laboratory courses are a primary vehicle by which experiential learning is incorporated into undergraduate engineering programs. However, their role in enhancing learning is often disappointing, likely due to the design and implementation of activities. Here, curriculum for a first-year Biomedical Engineering Laboratory course will be developed using a problem-based approach. This is expected to engage students in biomedical engineering design as early as first-year, while also building their foundational technical skills. Modules will be created based on relevant topics (bioprinting and microfluidics), and a design project bank will be developed from proposals pitched by local biomedical companies. A problem-based approach is also consistent with the School’s vision for a “Design Spine”, which integrates engineering design into all years of the new undergraduate program. Evaluation tools developed in this project will be used to collect baseline data during initial course roll-out, and to support curriculum development in the long term.

Gabrielle Lam, Instructor, Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Karen Cheung, Director, Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program / Associate Director / Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Peter Cripton, Director, Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program / Associate Director / Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science