A Course Guideline for Biomedical Engineering Modeling and Design for Freshmen

Abstract

Johns Hopkins University’s Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department Freshmen Modeling and Design course provides a taste of BME by integrating first-order modeling of physiological systems with quantitative experimentation at a level that freshmen students can understand. It is a team-based course from both instructor and student perspectives, combining lectures with practical and project components.

The freshmen teams consist of 5-6 students, each mentored by a faculty adviser, and guided by a graduate student teaching assistant and upperclassmen BME lab managers. Projects are completed and graded as a group. To encourage teamwork and participation, a peer evaluation system is employed, in which a student receives a modified grade based on the group’s grade and their personal contributions to the project.

For a cohort of about 130 freshmen, typically more than 20 faculty members, 12 graduate student teaching assistants and 14-18 BME upperclassmen lab managers are involved, which is a unique aspect of this course. By putting freshmen students into close contact with many members of faculty and student body, this course aims to serve as a springboard for students to explore the diverse BME landscape, as well as foster a greater awareness of the opportunities of student life on campus.