Teaching Medical Devices through Interactive Innovation: Challenges and Rewards

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering Education
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Medical device courses attract students from diverse academic backgrounds with varied interests.
• Satisfying the learning expectations of all students in such interdisciplinary classes presents a significant challenge for instructors.
• Traditional teaching methods may not adequately cater to the broad spectrum of student interests in medical device education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel instructional method for teaching medical devices.
• To address the challenge of diverse student interests in interdisciplinary courses.
• To foster critical and creative thinking skills in students pursuing careers in medical devices.

Main Methods:

• Students actively participate in co-creating the curriculum by selecting medical devices of personal interest.
• A threefold presentation structure guides students through foundational concepts, critical assessment, and creative application of knowledge.
• The method balances rigorous coverage of engineering and medical principles with flexible topic selection based on student interests.

Main Results:

• The instructional method successfully engages students from varied academic backgrounds.
• Students develop critical and creative thinking abilities, moving beyond rote memorization.
• The approach prepares students to be innovation-centered individuals entering the medical device field.

Conclusions:

• The co-creation curriculum model is effective for interdisciplinary medical device courses.
• This method enhances student engagement and learning outcomes in diverse academic settings.
• The approach offers a valuable model for instructors seeking to balance subject rigor with student-centered learning.