Abstract

A year-long design project is a typical requirement for an undergraduate engineering degree. However, the abbreviated, two-semester format limits most projects from reaching appropriate maturity for obtaining intellectual property (IP) protection, external funding, and/or peer-reviewed publications. The traditional model may be associated with some dissatisfaction with the abrupt ending of the work, as projects are often just completing their initial proof-of-concept testing after 1 year. This study reports the results of a pilot experiment that allowed such design projects to extend through a second year. We investigated three different mechanisms for continuation: research credits, a second-year curricular course (Advanced Design Teams), and extracurricular support. Students in this program continued to engage with an advisory board of clinicians, engineers, and other professionals, many of whom had assisted with the project during the first year. We investigated whether continuing the projects in a curricular fashion may provide a better avenue for productivity than extracurricular mechanisms. Based on the results of this pilot study, our department has formalized a curriculum to support teams beyond the first year, in which continuing students from the first-year teams can apply to continue their projects for credit toward their degrees.

中文翻译：

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超过一年的生物医学工程本科设计项目课程进展：一项初步研究

摘要

一年制设计项目是本科工程学位的典型要求。但是，缩写的两个学期的格式限制了大多数项目在获得知识产权（IP）保护，外部资金和/或经过同行评审的出版物之前未达到适当的成熟度。传统模型可能与对工作突然结束的不满有关，因为项目通常只是在一年后才完成其初始概念验证测试。这项研究报告了一项试验性实验的结果，该试验使此类设计项目可以延续第二年。我们研究了三种不同的延续机制：研究学分，第二年课程（高级设计团队）和课外支持。该计划的学生继续与临床医生，工程师和其他专业人士的咨询委员会合作，其中许多人在第一年就为该项目提供了帮助。我们调查了以课外方式继续进行项目是否比课外机制提供了更好的生产率途径。根据这项初步研究的结果，我们系已经正式制定了课程计划，以支持第一年以后的团队，在该课程中，来自第一年团队的在校学生可以申请继续其项目以获得学分。