WIP: Embedded Ethical Inquiry and Reflection in a Biomedical Engineering Curriculum

Sharon Miller; Steven Higbee; Joseph M. Wallace; John H. Schild; Julie Y. Ji

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Teaching Interventions in Biomedical Engineering (Works in Progress) - June 22nd
Tagged Division: Biomedical Engineering
Page Count: 5
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35536
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/35536
Download Count: 490

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Paper Authors

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Sharon Miller Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis

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Dr. Miller is the Undergraduate Program Director and Clinical Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). After earning her BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University (West Lafayette), she earned her MS and PhD degrees at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Her current roles include teaching, assisting in program assessment, student advising, and helping oversee undergraduate curriculum development and enhancement.

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Steven Higbee Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis orcid.org/0000-0001-8733-043X

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Steve is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He received his PhD in Bioengineering from Rice University (Houston, TX) in 2013, after earning his BS and MS degrees from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN). His current position focuses on teaching, advising, and promotion of undergraduate research.

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Abstract

The field of biomedical engineering (BME) aims to improve medicine through design. Improving human health and quality of life requires trained engineering students to bring knowledge and confidence when challenged with biomedical problems. Ample curricular resources guide instructors when helping students practice application of theory through problem-based and project-based learning; however, few content-rich, teaching resources exist for faculty to use when incorporating engineering ethics throughout a student's biomedical engineering undergraduate experience.

Biomedical engineering programs continue refining the implementation and assessment of ethics assignments as the recent 2018 ABET changes identify the ability to recognize ethical responsibilities as a necessary student outcome in the preparation of engineers that can make informed judgements. Despite this refinement, challenges of implementing engineering ethics in BME curricula still exist and can include difficulty in emulating ethical situations, ill-prepared or tentative instructors, peripheral or isolated ethics coursework, and varied engineering ethics education expectations.

The aim of this work in progress is two-fold: 1) to present a method used by a biomedical engineering department to develop embedded ethical reflection throughout its curriculum and 2) to present research methods and preliminary data on biomedical engineering student ability to articulate their own ethical inquiry from embedded student reflection.

Curriculum Development Methods: Using backward instructional design, a programmatic student outcome on ethics guided development of student learning objectives (mapped to both knowledge and cognitive learning dimensions). After a curricular gap analysis, embedded reflections were designed to parallel ethical topics throughout sophomore through senior courses. Biomedical engineering major courses targeted include biomechanics, biomeasurements, implantable materials, biofluids, and senior capstone. Integrated ethical inquiry and reflection within these courses address topics of animal use in biomedical research, data from human noninvasive measures, life cycle of medical devices, pharmaceutical pollution, and medical device recalls.

Research Methods: A student framework on ethical inquiry guided the development of biomedical engineering course assignments. The goal of the framework is to initiate BME student reflectivity to enhance their ethical reasoning on topics connected to course content. This work in progress will present preliminary results from sophomore-level student reflection assignments constructed using a modified DEAL (Describe, Examine, Articulate, Learning) model. Connecting animal use in biomedical research to an introductory biomechanics laboratory, this assignment specifically prompts students to participate in cognizant recognition of ethical knowledge gaps or ethical inquiry gaps and to use intentional reflection to improve their ethical reasoning. The student assignment, connection to course content and objectives, assessment methods, and preliminary data will be presented.

Citation
Format

Miller, S., & Higbee, S., & Wallace, J. M., & Schild, J. H., & Ji, J. Y. (2020, June), WIP: Embedded Ethical Inquiry and Reflection in a Biomedical Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35536

TY - CPAPER
AB - The field of biomedical engineering (BME) aims to improve medicine through design. Improving human health and quality of life requires trained engineering students to bring knowledge and confidence when challenged with biomedical problems. Ample curricular resources guide instructors when helping students practice application of theory through problem-based and project-based learning; however, few content-rich, teaching resources exist for faculty to use when incorporating engineering ethics throughout a student&#39;s biomedical engineering undergraduate experience.

Biomedical engineering programs continue refining the implementation and assessment of ethics assignments as the recent 2018 ABET changes identify the ability to recognize ethical responsibilities as a necessary student outcome in the preparation of engineers that can make informed judgements. Despite this refinement, challenges of implementing engineering ethics in BME curricula still exist and can include difficulty in emulating ethical situations, ill-prepared or tentative instructors, peripheral or isolated ethics coursework, and varied engineering ethics education expectations.

The aim of this work in progress is two-fold: 1) to present a method used by a biomedical engineering department to develop embedded ethical reflection throughout its curriculum and 2) to present research methods and preliminary data on biomedical engineering student ability to articulate their own ethical inquiry from embedded student reflection.

Curriculum Development Methods: Using backward instructional design, a programmatic student outcome on ethics guided development of student learning objectives (mapped to both knowledge and cognitive learning dimensions). After a curricular gap analysis, embedded reflections were designed to parallel ethical topics throughout sophomore through senior courses. Biomedical engineering major courses targeted include biomechanics, biomeasurements, implantable materials, biofluids, and senior capstone. Integrated ethical inquiry and reflection within these courses address topics of animal use in biomedical research, data from human noninvasive measures, life cycle of medical devices, pharmaceutical pollution, and medical device recalls.

Research Methods: A student framework on ethical inquiry guided the development of biomedical engineering course assignments. The goal of the framework is to initiate BME student reflectivity to enhance their ethical reasoning on topics connected to course content. This work in progress will present preliminary results from sophomore-level student reflection assignments constructed using a modified DEAL (Describe, Examine, Articulate, Learning) model. Connecting animal use in biomedical research to an introductory biomechanics laboratory, this assignment specifically prompts students to participate in cognizant recognition of ethical knowledge gaps or ethical inquiry gaps and to use intentional reflection to improve their ethical reasoning. The student assignment, connection to course content and objectives, assessment methods, and preliminary data will be presented.

AU - Sharon Miller
AU - Steven Higbee
AU - Joseph M. Wallace
AU - John H. Schild
AU - Julie Y. Ji
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - WIP: Embedded Ethical Inquiry and Reflection in a Biomedical Engineering Curriculum
UR - https://strategy.asee.org/35536
DO - 10.18260/1-2--35536
ER -