An Institutional Perspective: Problem-Based Learning in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech

1. An Institutional Perspective:Problem-Based Learning inBiomedical Engineering atGeorgia Tech Barbara Burks Fasse Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology International Symposium for Research on PBL in Engineering Education Loughborough University- UK and Purdue University June 2009 BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

2. Theoretical Foundational Frameworks:PBL in BME at GaTech • activity theory, cognitive apprenticeship, collaboration (Brown, Collins,& Duguid, 1989; Collins, Brown,& Newman, 1989, Brown & Campione, 1994; Bruner, 1966; Greeno, 1992; Palincsar, Anderson & David, 1993; Pintrich, 1995; Scardamalia, Bereiter & Lamon, 1994); • cognitive apprenticeship (Collins, Brown & Newman, 1989); • problem-based learning (Barrows, 1985; Koschmann, Myers, Feltovich & Barrows, 1994); • project-based learning (Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik, Guzdial & Palincsar, 1991; Edelson, Gordin & Pea, 1999); • knowledge building (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 2003) • Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky,1978).

3. Meeting the Goals of the 21st Century Learner:Curricular Design for BME Undergraduate Curriculum at GaTech Problem-Based, Project-Based, Inquiry Learning • Integration from first required course in curriculum thru Senior Design I&II with real world clients • Establish and re-employ practices (e.g.,breaking down a complex problem, using whiteboards to develop representations in knowledge bldg, “working smart” thru collaboration, presentations for specific audience, writing rigorous scholarly papers) • Support identity development as agents of their own learning • Students as life-long information seekers and users • Spontaneous application of practices for learning & problem solving • Leveraging technology to access & distribute information and facilitate collaboration (Internet data-bases, wikis, Facebook, GoogleGroup) Problem-solving studios • Formal & Just-in-time lectures that compliment problem-solving teamwork • Exposing misconceptions and negotiating pathways to content understanding and novel solutions • Hitting dead ends—learning from impasses and recovery through just-in-time support Thematic relevance • Design problem statements for connections between courses over 4 years • Preparation for future learning by situating problems and practices in the real-world BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

4. Learning goals • Content Skills • Technical or topical materials specific to the course (ie, 1300 Methods; 3600 Cellular/molecular biology) II. Process Skills or Practices • Inquiry skills • Search, evaluate, digest, feed back into group • Knowledge building skills • Ask questions, id gaps, conduct systematic search • Complex problem-solving skills • Define problem, identify strategy, apply inquiry, • Team skills • Communicate, support, confront, reflect, assess BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

5. BMED 1300 – Problems in Biomedical Engineering I Problem 1: Cancer Screening Ovarian Cancer Screening With approximately 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and more than 15,000 women dying annually, this disease has become the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Because it causes minimal, nonspecific or no symptoms at all, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are caught in their earliest, potentially curable stages. With advanced ovarian cancer the 5-year survival rate is only around 20-25%. Another problem associated with this disease is that progression from early to late stages is extremely rapid. Clearly the earlier it can be detected, the better. While ultrasound is widely used for diagnostic testing for pelvic masses, its usefulness as a screening tool has been questioned. One study reported a relatively high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (94.6%) of routine ultrasound of asymptomatic women, but a very low positive predictive value (2.6%). Your team has been selected by the National Cancer Institute to investigate the current status of ovarian cancer screening, including the effectiveness of the most commonly used methods. You are expected to identify and make recommendations regarding potential future screening strategies, which relative to current strategies improve sensitivity without sacrificing specificity. Problem 2: Using scientific methods to test device error: Design, execute with statistical analysis, Report on a human subjects experiment (e.g., pedometer error) Problem 3: Mathematical Modeling- Develop and test a predictive model (e.g., national strategy to reduce obesity by 2015) BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

6. PBL Environment: Enactment in Dedicated PBL Classrooms BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

7. PBL Environment: Distributed Cognition in Conference Rooms BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

8. PBL Environment: Appropriating Spaces and Practices for PBL-style Learning and Collaboration BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

9. BMED1300:Assessment = Formative & Summative • PBL group work and out-of-class inquiry (daily observations) 35% • Lab notebooks (3)/ inquiry updates (6) 25% • Written reports (3)/oral presentations (4) 15% • Peer/self evaluations (3) 10% • Final exam- Performance Assessment 15% • Mid-term facilitator mtg (10-15 mins ea)

10. BMED1300- Problem 2: Data Presentation(Professional Conference)

11. Georgia Institute of Technology - Biomedical Engineering COURSE REQUIREMENTS BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

12. Georgia Institute of Technology - Biomedical Engineering Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning Implementations BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

13. “Expert” BMED3600- Physiology of Cellular & Molecular Systems Cellular/Molecular Strategy for the Treatment ofOvarian Cancer Cells With approximately 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and more than 15,000 dying annually, this disease has become the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States.As is the case with all cancers, ovarian cancer begins in cells, the “building blocks” that make up tissues within the body. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. What makes the problem of cancer so difficult to solve is that the process of cell division and death can be controlled at a number of levels, including i) mutations that affect transcription and translation of normal proteins at normal levels, protein trafficking, and receptor-ligand and cell signaling alterations. Aberrations in these cellular control systems can propagate into other aspects of the cell and its microenvironment including cytoskeletal changes and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Biogenic Idec’s Oncology Therapeutics Division has hired your small consulting firm to develop and propose a new potential cellular/molecular strategy for the treatment of primary ovarian cancer cells.In their search for the best potential strategy they have hired numerous other groups to investigate strategies that focus on the following various aspects: i) transcription/translation, ii) receptor-ligand interactions and cell signaling, iii) membranes and vesicle trafficking, iv) cytoskeleton, v) cell division and apoptosis, and vi) the extracellular matrix. Your firm was assigned to one of these topical areas. Your firm will be required to give a 5-minute “rapid-fire” presentation outlining the i) specifics of your proposed strategy, ii) the rationale for your approach, iii) sufficient scientific background for comprehension of the strategy, and iv) how you would propose to validate your new approach. You are required to submit a 5-page written proposal (including figures) that addresses the same issues. Thematic Relevance: Developmental Nature of Problems for 4 years of PBL “Novice” BMED1300- Probs in BME I Ovarian Cancer Screening With approximately 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and more than 15,000 dying annually, this disease has become the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Because it causes minimal, nonspecific or no symptoms at all, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are caught in their earliest, potentially curable stages. With advanced ovarian cancer the 5-year survival rate is only around 20-25%. Another problem associated with this disease is that progression from early to late stages is extremely rapid. Clearly the earlier it can be detected, the better. While ultrasound is widely used for diagnostic testing for pelvic masses, its usefulness as a screening tool has been questioned. One study reported a relatively high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (94.6%) of routine ultrasound of asymptomatic women, but a very low positive predictive value (2.6%). Your team has been selected by the National Cancer Institute to investigate the current status of ovarian cancer screening, including the effectiveness of the most commonly used methods. You are expectedto identify and make recommendations regarding potential future screening strategies, which relative to current strategies improve sensitivity without sacrificing specificity. Problem Solution Presentation: Tuesday, September 22 FinalReport: Tuesday, September 29 BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

14. Research: Assessing the Efficacy and Value of PBL in BME at GaTech 2008 – 09 DATA SET: “Novice” vs “Experts” BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09

15. Preliminary Observations from the data: You saw if here first • Socio-cognitive theory of AGENCY (Bandura, 2001, 2006; Schwartz, 1999) practiced in the • FIGURED WORLD (Holland et al, 1998)to answer the question: how do the participatory structures in PBL support the taking on of goals and • IDENTITY (dispositional agency) as students become engineers and independent • LIFE-LONG LEARNERS (using Lave & Wenger, 1991). • Positioning • Model-based reasoning

16. Questions? http://www.bme.gatech.edu/pbl/internal/problemsList.php bfasse@bme.gatech.edu BFasse Intern’l Conf - PBL Res - June ‘09