Project-based Learning: Engaging Biomedical Engineering Sophomores Through a Collaborative Vein-finder Device Project with Nursing

A new design project in collaboration with the School of Nursing and Health Sciences has been employed as a way to incorporate additional project-based learning into a sophomore-level Biomedical Engineering Principles course. Project-based learning has been shown to improve student motivation and performance. It is often implemented in senior-level engineering courses; however, the main goal of this effort was to establish a project that would allow us to incorporate project-based learning earlier into our biomedical engineering curriculum. The challenge was selecting a project that had real-world applicability, integrated knowledge from several different engineering subjects, resulted in a functional device, and would be appropriate for sophomore-level biomedical engineering students. The vein finder device project met all of these requirements. Students worked in teams and applied various skills such as programming, circuit design, soldering, computer-aided design, and rapid prototyping to develop a functional, inexpensive vein finder device, which could be used by nursing students to learn how to locate suitable veins for intravenous insertion. Student feedback from course evaluations indicated that the design project was effective in increasing student motivation and learning. The study was concluded with preparation of a course assessment report.