Bioengineering Curriculum Project Robert A. Linsenmeier, Northwestern University David Gatchell, Northwestern University Thomas R. Harris, Vanderbilt University Suzanne A. Olds, Northwestern University Supported by NSF EEC

VaNTH VaNTH is an NSF Engineering Research Center in Bioengineering Educational Technologies VaNTH is Vanderbilt, Northwestern, University of Texas at Austin and the Heath Science and Technology program at Harvard/MIT VaNTH has several goals: Study learning and teaching in bioengineering Develop tested materials for teaching bioengineering and methods of producing materials Define the taxonomy of bioengineering Provide information and advice about bioengineering curricula

Elements of Curricular Advice We are trying to describe a process for creating or modifying curricula rather than prescribing a set of courses or domain areas that must be included in a curriculum By “curriculum” we mean the set of courses, concepts, etc that comprise an educational program – our current focus is on undergraduates – the BS in BE or BME. Dissemination is via a public section of the VaNTH website for the curriculum project. Our primary audience is expected to be faculty in bioengineering, but students and industry may find it useful. Goal: To assist institutions in developing a strong BE curriculum while also satisfying local constraints

Website Contents 1) Information on the state of the art of curricula In bioengineering nationally 2) Information on existing bioengineering curricula (esp. undergrad) VaNTH institutions as examples Others to be added 3) Principles and recommendations for the creation of new or revised bioengineering curricula. 4) Web and text references and resources for curricular planners 5) A forum for feedback on bioengineering curricula.

Principles and Recommendations: Subsections Philosophical underpinnings and assumptions Steps to creating a curriculum Content – What to teach Bioengineering content Math and science fundamentals Key concepts for all BMEs Elective content Core competencies Pedagogy – How to teach Satisfying ABET guidelines

Principles and Recommendations: Philosophical underpinnings and assumptions Programs need to make choices about a number of things: Main career paths students are being prepared for Bioengineering content, since there is not time to cover everything The extent to which students have a common curriculum The relative focus on theory vs. practice The relative effort to expend on undergraduate vs. graduate education Others have also thought about some of these issues: An important goal should be to produce adaptive experts. Graduates will change jobs and have to respond to new technologies and new situations.

Types of content Domain knowledge Core competencies Undergraduate or Graduate Bioengineering Curriculum Courses Modules Math, Chem., Phyx Bioengineering Topics Communications Engineering and technical skills Problem definition Planning and modeling Experimental and computational Biology Ethics Project and people management Life-long learning

Math Calculus through differential equations Computer skills High level language (Matlab) Programming ? Spreadsheets, word processing, presentation software Chemistry General, Organic ? Physics Calculus based mechanics, E&M, optics and wave phenomena Biology Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology (Physiology covered in key concepts) Foundation/prerequisite content – General agreement on math and science

Bio(medical) engineering content is not well defined; dramatic variations occur from one program to another Variation is good, healthy, and consistent with ABET requirements But, Variation is confusing to industry in terms of the students’ skill set and knowledge base. Therefore, some commonality is needed to specify minimum characteristics of a bioengineer. Bioengineering Content: the Problem

Our solution: All undergraduate programs should come to agreement on a core of material that should be taught to all biomedical engineering undergrads – we call these “key concepts.” Programs can then build out the rest of the curriculum in unique ways that take advantage of their local strengths and their perceptions of the future of the field. We are not proposing to dictate courses. Key concepts will be covered in different ways at different universities. Programs should be able to compare their curricula to the list and arrive at a “compliance score.” It is likely that no program will be 100% compliant. Bioengineering Content: the solution

Assumptions: Biomedical industry has the most stringent specific requirements, so we orient the search for key content to satisfy the needs of students who will go into industry. A particular company may have specific requirements that only some BMEs will meet (e.g. cell culture; finite element analysis; pulse sequence design). (That’s what the rest of the curriculum is for.) Key content will not change very fast. We can achieve some agreement. A university might not choose to cover all key concepts in required courses. Some key concepts may be covered in elective courses. Students might use this information to choose electives if they wish to work in industry Bioengineering content

Signal and systems analysis Data acquisition Sampling concepts Filtering Digital Analog System characteristics Periodic and aperiodic signals Time and frequency domains Laplace transform Impulse response Frequency response Fourier series Discrete Fourier transform Random signals Auto and cross correlation Power spectra Signal/Noise ratio Examples of key content Imaging Differences between analog and digital images Resolution issues: pixels, voxels, field of view, nominal resolution Projection views vs. tomographic views Contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio Method of image acquisition for at least one modality (light microscopy to MR to video): Energy source Interactions of energy with imaged object Detection of energy after interaction Image Formation Ability to store, display and manipulate at least one type of digital image

Physical chemistry/thermodynamics Conservation principles Mass, momentum, and energy Thermodynamic laws Non-conservation of entropy Kinetics Zero and first order kinetics Enzyme kinetics Phase equilibria Colligative properties Examples of key content Modeling Mathematical descriptions of physical systems Simulation Parameter identification Optimization Mechanics Kinematics (of particles) Position Linear velocity and acceleration Angular velocity and acceleration Circular motion Mass Properties Center of mass Moment of inertia Statics Forces and torques Lever arms Principle of static equilibrium Dynamics Linear and angular momentum Newton’s laws of motion Principle of dynamic equilibribum Stress and strain