Medical Device Design Education: Identifying Problems Through Observation and Hands-On Training

Area of Science:

• Medical Device Design Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Design Thinking Pedagogy

Background:

• Experiential learning is used across industries, but its impact on design education is understudied.
• Simulation-based learning offers a controlled environment to study educational impacts.
• Medical design innovation requires understanding complex systems beyond just devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of observational versus hands-on experiential learning on knowledge acquisition and synthesis in medical design.
• To evaluate student performance in the 'Understanding' and 'Defining the Problems' phases of design thinking.
• To assess the impact of different simulation-based learning approaches on medical design innovation insights.

Main Methods:

• Two workshops were conducted: one with observational learning, the other with hands-on experiential learning.
• Participants included 14-16 multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate students in each workshop.
• Student comprehension of infant resuscitation and maternal hemorrhage management was measured.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in the quality scores of student ideas and execution between the two learning approaches.
• Industry experts provided similar scores for student performance in both observational and hands-on workshops.
• Instructors observed a higher level of student excitement and engagement with hands-on training.

Conclusions:

• Both observational and hands-on simulation-based learning can be effective for teaching medical design principles.
• Hands-on experiential learning may enhance student engagement, a crucial factor for sustained learning.
• Further research with expanded course durations is recommended to explore the full impact on design thinking skills.