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Experiential Learning in Biomedical Engineering Education Using Wearable Devices: A Case Study in a Biomedical Signals and Systems Analysis Course

2022 , Montesinos, Luis , Santos-Diaz, Alejandro , Salinas-Navarro, David Ernesto , Cendejas-Zaragoza, Leopoldo

Biomedical engineering (BME) is one of the fastest-growing engineering fields worldwide. BME professionals are extensively employed in the health technology and healthcare industries. Hence, their education must prepare them to face the challenge of a rapidly evolving technological environment. Biomedical signals and systems analysis is essential to BME undergraduate education. Unfortunately, students often underestimate the importance of their courses as they do not perceive these courses’ practical applications in their future professional practice. In this study, we propose using blended learning spaces to develop new learning experiences in the context of a biomedical signals and systems analysis course to enhance students’ motivation and interest and the relevance of the materials learned. We created a learning experience based on wearable devices and cloud-based collaborative development environments such that the students turned daily-life scenarios into experiential learning spaces. Overall, our results suggest a positive impact on the students’ perceptions of their learning experience concerning relevance, motivation, and interest. Namely, the evidence shows a reduction in the variability of such perceptions. However, further research must confirm this potential impact. This confirmation is required given the monetary and time investment this pedagogical approach would require if it were to be implemented at a larger scale. ©MDPI, The authors.

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Expanding the Concept of Learning Space in Biomedical Engineering Education using Wearable Devices and Cloud-based Collaborative Programming Environments

2023 , Montesinos, Luis , Santos-Diaz, Alejandro , Salinas-Navarro, David Ernesto , Cendejas-Zaragoza, Leopoldo

Biomedical engineering undergraduate students often underestimate the relevance of their courses as they hardly perceive their practical application in future professional development, resulting in a lack of interest, motivation, and engagement. This issue may be addressed by implementing practical or “hands-on” learning experiences that allow students to construct their knowledge and apply skills in real-world scenarios. This work proposes to create learning experiences supported by blended learning spaces, including traditional classrooms for direct instruction, daily-life scenarios for experiential learning enabled by wearable devices, and cloudbased programming environments for online collaborative work. The learning experience presented was implemented in a biomedical signals and systems course. Students used health wearables to record their physiological and behavioral signals in everyday scenarios and Google Collaboratory notebooks to analyze the collected data. The survey results applied to students suggest that technology-enabled blended learning spaces positively impact students’ perception of their learning experience. However, other potential benefits in learning derived from the use of technologies, such as increased student engagement and motivation and improved learning outcomes, require further investigation. This is particularly relevant given the monetary investment that scaling up this pedagogical approach would need. ©The authors, IEEE.

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Transdisciplinary experiential learning in biomedical engineering education for healthcare systems improvement

2023 , Montesinos, Luis , Salinas-Navarro, David Ernesto , Santos-Diaz, Alejandro

Background: The growing demand for more efficient, timely, and safer health services, together with insufficient resources, put unprecedented pressure on health systems worldwide. This challenge has motivated the application of principles and tools of operations management and lean systems to healthcare processes to maximize value while reducing waste. Consequently, there is an increasing need for professionals with the appropriate clinical experience and skills in systems and process engineering. Given their multidisciplinary education and training, biomedical engineering professionals are likely among the most suitable to assume this role. In this context, biomedical engineering education must prepare students for a transdisciplinary professional role by including concepts, methods, and tools that commonly belong to industrial engineering. This work aims to create relevant learning experiences for biomedical engineering education to expand transdisciplinary knowledge and skills in students to improve and optimize hospital and healthcare care processes. Methods: Healthcare processes were translated into specific learning experiences using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. This model allowed us to systematically identify the context where learning experiences were expected to occur, the new concepts and skills to be developed through these experiences, the stages of the student’s learning journey, the resources required to implement the learning experiences, and the assessment and evaluation methods. The learning journey was structured around Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, which considers four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Data on the student’s learning and experience were collected through formative and summative assessments and a student opinion survey. Results: The proposed learning experiences were implemented in a 16-week elective course on hospital management for last-year biomedical engineering undergraduate students. Students engaged in analyzing and redesigning healthcare operations for improvement and optimization. Namely, students observed a relevant healthcare process, identified a problem, and defined an improvement and deployment plan. These activities were carried out using tools drawn from industrial engineering, which expanded their traditional professional role. The fieldwork occurred in two large hospitals and a university medical service in Mexico. A transdisciplinary teaching team designed and implemented these learning experiences. Conclusions : This teaching-learning experience benefited students and faculty concerning public participation, transdisciplinarity, and situated learning. However, the time devoted to the proposed learning experience represented a challenge. ©The authors, BMC Medical Education.