Using an Accelerated Undergraduate Needs Finding Course to Build Skills, Inspire Confidence, and Promote Interest in...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Design Education
• Health Technology Innovation
• Medical Device Development Training

Background:

• Undergraduate biomedical design programs often lack essential clinical immersion and needs finding training.
• Faculty and administrative constraints limit the duration of traditional courses.
• There is a need for effective, condensed training models in health technology innovation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design and teaching methods of an accelerated block-plan course for biomedical design students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 3-week intensive course focused on clinical immersion and needs finding.
• To assess the impact of specific course design elements on student learning outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a 3-week intensive block-plan course grounded in experiential and constructivist learning theories.
• Focused on clinical observations, needs research, and screening within the health technology innovation process.
• Utilized pre- and post-course surveys to measure self-reported student learning gains.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant learning gains were observed across most learning objectives despite the accelerated format.
• Key design choices, including observational practice, iterative reinforcement, balanced content, coaching, and prototyping, were effective.
• The block-plan model demonstrated benefits for delivering clinical immersion opportunities.

Conclusions:

• An intensive, 3-week block-plan course can effectively train undergraduates in clinical immersion and needs finding for biomedical design.
• Specific pedagogical strategies, such as hands-on practice and iterative learning, contribute to positive outcomes.
• This replicable model offers a solution for institutions with limited capacity for extended clinical immersion programs.