An Institutional Perspective: Problem-Based Learning in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech Barbara Burks Fasse Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical

An Institutional Perspective:Problem-Based Learning in Biomedical Engineering at

Georgia Tech

Barbara Burks FasseWallace H. Coulter

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

International Symposium for Research on PBL in Engineering Education

Loughborough University- UK and Purdue University

June 2009

BFasseIntern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

Theoretical Foundational Frameworks:PBL in BME at GaTech

• activity theory, cognitive apprenticeship, collaboration (Brown, Collins,& Duguid, 1989; Collins, Brown,& Newman, 1989, Brown & Campione, 1994; Bruner, 1966; Greeno, 1992; Palincsar, Anderson & David, 1993; Pintrich, 1995; Scardamalia, Bereiter & Lamon, 1994);

• cognitive apprenticeship (Collins, Brown & Newman, 1989); • problem-based learning (Barrows, 1985; Koschmann, Myers,

Feltovich & Barrows, 1994); • project-based learning (Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik,

Guzdial & Palincsar, 1991; Edelson, Gordin & Pea, 1999); • knowledge building (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 2003) • Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky,1978).

Problem-Based, Project-Based, Inquiry Learning• Integration from first required course in curriculum thru Senior Design I&II

with real world clients

• Establish and re-employ practices (e.g.,breaking down a complex problem, using whiteboards to develop representations in knowledge bldg, “working smart” thru collaboration, presentations for specific audience, writing rigorous scholarly papers)

• Support identity development as agents of their own learningo Students as life-long information seekers and users

o Spontaneous application of practices for learning & problem solving

• Leveraging technology to access & distribute information and facilitate collaboration (Internet data-bases, wikis, Facebook, GoogleGroup)

Problem-solving studios • Formal & Just-in-time lectures that compliment problem-solving teamwork

• Exposing misconceptions and negotiating pathways to content understanding and novel solutions

• Hitting dead ends—learning from impasses and recovery through just-in-time support

Thematic relevance• Design problem statements for connections between courses over 4 years• Preparation for future learning by situating problems and practices in the

real-world

Meeting the Goals of the 21st Century Learner:Curricular Design for BME Undergraduate Curriculum at GaTech


Learning goalsI. Content Skills• Technical or topical materials specific to the course

(ie, 1300 Methods; 3600 Cellular/molecular biology)

II. Process Skills or Practices• Inquiry skills

– Search, evaluate, digest, feed back into group• Knowledge building skills

– Ask questions, id gaps, conduct systematic search• Complex problem-solving skills

– Define problem, identify strategy, apply inquiry, • Team skills

– Communicate, support, confront, reflect, assess


Problem 1: Cancer Screening Ovarian Cancer Screening

With approximately 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and more than 15,000 women dying annually, this disease has become the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Because it causes minimal, nonspecific or no symptoms at all, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are caught in their earliest, potentially curable stages. With advanced ovarian cancer the 5-year survival rate is only around 20-25%. Another problem associated with this disease is that progression from early to late stages is extremely rapid. Clearly the earlier it can be detected, the better. While ultrasound is widely used for diagnostic testing for pelvic masses, its usefulness as a screening tool has been questioned. One study reported a relatively high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (94.6%) of routine ultrasound of asymptomatic women, but a very low positive predictive value (2.6%).

Your team has been selected by the National Cancer Institute to investigate the current status of ovarian cancer screening, including the effectiveness of the most commonly used methods. You are expected to identify and make recommendations regarding potential future screening strategies, which relative to current strategies improve sensitivity without sacrificing specificity.

Problem 2: Using scientific methods to test device error: Design, execute with statistical analysis, Report on a human subjects experiment (e.g., pedometer error)

Problem 3: Mathematical Modeling- Develop and test a predictive model (e.g., national strategy to reduce obesity by 2015)

BMED 1300 – Problems in Biomedical Engineering I


PBL Environment: Enactment in Dedicated PBL Classrooms


PBL Environment:Distributed Cognition in Conference Rooms


PBL Environment:Appropriating Spaces and Practices for PBL-style Learning and Collaboration


BMED1300:Assessment = Formative & Summative

• PBL group work and out-of-class inquiry (daily observations) 35%

• Lab notebooks (3)/inquiry updates (6) 25%

• Written reports (3)/oral presentations (4) 15%

• Peer/self evaluations (3) 10%• Final exam- Performance

Assessment 15%• Mid-term facilitator mtg (10-15

mins ea)

BMED1300- Problem 2: Data Presentation(Professional Conference)

FALL SPRING

YR1 MATH 1501 CALCULUS I - 4 credits

CHEM 1310 GENERAL CHEMISTRY - 4BIOL 1510 BIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES - 4ENGL 1101 ENGLISH COMP I - 3BMED 1000 INTRO TO BME - 1

MATH 1502 CALCULUS II - 4 creditsCHEM 1315 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY -3PHYS 2211 INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS I - 4BMED 1300 PROBLEMS in BME I -3ENGL 1102 ENG COMPOSITION II -3

YR2 MATH 2401 CALCULUS III - 4

CHEM 3511 SURVEY of BIOCHEM - 3PHYS 2212 INTRO PHYSICS II -4CS 1371 COMPUTING for ENGINEERS- 3HIST 2111 or 2112 or POL 1101 or PUBP 3000 or INTA 1200 -3

MATH 2403 DIFF EQUATIONS -4BMED 2210 CONSERVATION PRINCIPALS in BME -4COE 2001 STATICS -2ECE 2025 INTRO to SIGNAL PROCESSING -4BMED 2300 PROBLEMS in BME II -3

YR3 BMED 3100 SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY - 3

BMED 3400 INTRO to BIOMECHANICS -4BMED 3300 BIOTRANSPORT - 4HUMANITIES ELECTIVE(S)* - 3BMED 2400 or CEE / MATH / ISYE 3770 STATISTICS & APPLICATIONS - 3

BMED 3510 BIOMEDICAL SYSTEMS & MODELING -4HUMANITIES ELECTIVE(S)* - 3BMED 3110 QUANTITATIVE ENGINEERING and PHYSIOLOGY LAB I - 2LCC 3401 TECHNICAL COMMUN - 2WELLNESS - 2BMED 3600 PHYSIOLOGY of CELLULAR and MOLECULAR SYSTEMS - 3

YR4 MSE 2001 PRIN and APPL ENG MAT - 3

BMED 4600 SR DESIGN PROJECT I - 2BMED 3610 QUANTITATIVE ENGINEERING and PHYS LAB II – 2FREE ELECTIVE(S) - 2BME TECHNICAL ELECTIVE(S) – 6

BMED 4601 SR DESIGN PROJECT II - 3ECON 2100 or 2105 or 2106 - 3HUMANITIES/SOC SCI ELECTIVE(S) - 6FREE ELECTIVE(S) - 2BME TECHNICAL ELECTIVE(S) - 3

Georgia Institute of Technology - Biomedical EngineeringCOURSE REQUIREMENTS


FALL SPRING

YR1 MATH 1501 CALCULUS I - 4 credits

CHEM 1310 GENERAL CHEMISTRY - 4BIOL 1510 BIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES - 4ENGL 1101 ENGLISH COMP I - 3BMED 1000 INTRO TO BME - 1

MATH 1502 CALCULUS II - 4 creditsCHEM 1315 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY -3PHYS 2211 INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS I - 4BMED 1300 PROBLEMS in BME I -3ENGL 1102 ENG COMPOSITION II -3

YR2 MATH 2401 CALCULUS III - 4

CHEM 3511 SURVEY of BIOCHEM - 3PHYS 2212 INTRO PHYSICS II -4CS 1371 COMPUTING for ENGINEERS- 3HIST 2111 or 2112 or POL 1101 or PUBP 3000 or INTA 1200 -3

MATH 2403 DIFF EQUATIONS -4BMED 2210 CONSERVATION PRINCIPALS in BME -4COE 2001 STATICS -2ECE 2025 INTRO to SIGNAL PROCESSING -4BMED 2300 PROBLEMS in BME II -3

YR3 BMED 3100 SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY - 3

BMED 3400 INTRO to BIOMECHANICS -4BMED 3300 BIOTRANSPORT - 4HUMANITIES ELECTIVE(S)* - 3BMED 2400 or CEE / MATH / ISYE 3770 STATISTICS & APPLICATIONS - 3

BMED 3510 BIOMEDICAL SYSTEMS & MODELING -4HUMANITIES ELECTIVE(S)* - 3BMED 3110 QUANTITATIVE ENGINEERING and PHYSIOLOGY LAB I - 2LCC 3401 TECHNICAL COMMUN - 2WELLNESS - 2BMED 3600 PHYSIOLOGY of CELLULAR and MOLECULAR SYSTEMS - 3

YR4 MSE 2001 PRIN and APPL ENG MAT - 3

BMED 4600 SR DESIGN PROJECT I - 2BMED 3610 QUANTITATIVE ENGINEERING and PHYS LAB II – 2FREE ELECTIVE(S) - 2BME TECHNICAL ELECTIVE(S) – 6

BMED 4601 SR DESIGN PROJECT II - 3ECON 2100 or 2105 or 2106 - 3HUMANITIES/SOC SCI ELECTIVE(S) - 6FREE ELECTIVE(S) - 2BME TECHNICAL ELECTIVE(S) - 3

Georgia Institute of Technology - Biomedical EngineeringProblem-Based and Project-Based Learning Implementations


“Novice”BMED1300- Probs in BME I

Ovarian Cancer Screening

With approximately 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and more than 15,000 dying annually, this disease has become the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Because it causesminimal, nonspecific or no symptoms at all, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are caught in their earliest, potentially curable stages. With advanced ovarian cancer the 5-year survival rate is only around 20-25%. Another problem associated with this disease is that progression from early to late stages is extremely rapid. Clearly the earlier it can be detected, the better. While ultrasound is widely used for diagnostic testing for pelvic masses, its usefulness as a screening tool has been questioned. One study reported a relatively high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (94.6%) of routine ultrasound of asymptomatic women, but a very low positive predictive value (2.6%).

Your team has been selected by the National Cancer Institute to investigate the current status of ovarian cancer screening, including the effectiveness of the most commonly used methods. You are expected to identify and make recommendations regarding potential future screening strategies, which relative to current strategies improve sensitivity without sacrificing specificity.

Problem Solution Presentation: Tuesday, September 22Final Report: Tuesday, September 29

“Expert”BMED3600- Physiology of Cellular & Molecular Systems

Cellular/Molecular Strategy for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer Cells

With approximately 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and more than 15,000 dying annually, this disease has become the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States. As is the case with all cancers, ovarian cancer begins in cells, the “building blocks” that make up tissues within the body.

Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. What makes the problem of cancer so difficult to solve is that the process of cell division and death can be controlled at a number of levels, including i) mutations that affect transcription and translation of normal proteins at normal levels, protein trafficking, and receptor-ligand and cell signaling alterations. Aberrations in these cellular control systems can propagate into other aspects of the cell and its microenvironment including cytoskeletal changes and remodeling of the extracellular matrix.

Biogenic Idec’s Oncology Therapeutics Division has hired your small consulting firm to develop and propose a new potential cellular/molecular strategy for the treatment of primary ovarian cancer cells. In their search for the best potential strategy they have hired numerous other groups to investigate strategies that focus on the following various aspects: i) transcription/translation, ii) receptor-ligand interactions and cell signaling, iii) membranes and vesicle trafficking, iv) cytoskeleton, v) cell division and apoptosis, and vi) the extracellular matrix. Your firm was assigned to one of these topical areas.

Your firm will be required to give a 5-minute “rapid-fire” presentation outlining the i) specifics of your proposed strategy, ii) the rationale for your approach, iii) sufficient scientific background for comprehension of the strategy, and iv) how you would propose to validate your new approach.

You are required to submit a 5-page written proposal (including figures) that addresses the same issues.


Thematic Relevance: Developmental Nature of Problems for 4 years of PBL

Pre- Post-

BMED1000Intro to BME (Fall 08)

Scientific Reasoning JMU SR9 (n=280)

Performance Assessment (online task)Problem solving (n=280)Exp Design (n=280)Modeling (n=280)

Nat’l Survey Student Engagement-NSSE

BMED1300Problems in BME I(Spring 09; Summer 09;Fall 09)

Performance Assessment (artifact)Report #1 (n<30)

Ethnographic Fieldnotes & Informal Interviews

Scientific ReasoningJMU SR9 (n=161/n=121 pre-test)

Performance Assessment (artifact)Final Exam (n=70)Report #3 (n<70)

PBL Attitudes & Understanding Survey (n=165)


BMED3600Physiology of Cell & MolecularSystems (Spring09)

Performance Assessment (artifact)Papers (n=60)Tests (n=60)


Performance Assessment (artifact)Final Problem/Paper (n=60)Final Exam (n=60)

Formal Interviews (n=18)

PBL Attitudes & Understanding Survey (n=38)


Nat’l Survey Student Engagement-NSSE

Research: Assessing the Efficacy and Value of PBL in BME at GaTech2008 – 09 DATA SET: “Novice” vs “Experts”


Preliminary Observations from the data: You saw if here first

• Socio-cognitive theory of AGENCY (Bandura, 2001, 2006; Schwartz, 1999) practiced in the

• FIGURED WORLD (Holland et al, 1998)to answer the question: how do the participatory structures in PBL support the taking on of goals and

• IDENTITY (dispositional agency) as students become engineers and independent

• LIFE-LONG LEARNERS (using Lave & Wenger, 1991).• Positioning• Model-based reasoning

Questions?http://www.bme.gatech.edu/pbl/internal/problemsList.php

[email protected]


http://www.bme.gatech.edu/pbl/internal/problemsList.php

Documents

An Institutional Perspective: Problem-Based Learning in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech Barbara Burks Fasse Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical