A hands-on lab providing an active-learning team environment to reinforce selected engineering principles of physiology, emphasizing a quantitative model-oriented approach to physiological systems.
Prerequisites: BMED 3400, BMED 3100, BMED 2400 (or CEE/ISYE 3770) and CS1371
Credit Hours: 2
Average GPA: 3.34
In this course, you will complete a series of five modules directly related to various physiological areas you’ve likely already been exposed to. Each module has a certain number of deliverables that counts for a specific percent of your grade for that module, often based on difficulty to accomplish. It’s important to note that for some modules, the deliverables may add up to over 100% – this means you must be deliberate in which deliverable(s) that you choose, balancing time spent on accomplishing the deliverable vs. the grade payoff. Information on how to complete each module isn’t handed to you on a silver platter, so you must use inquiry skills to frame the problem and fully understand it. Expect to write technical reports and learn how to gather and analyze real biological data using hardware and software. The data will be noisy, so be careful with all of your apparatus to not add even more noise. Follow rubrics closely for papers and presentations. Carefully discuss statistical analysis for each project in presentations and papers. This course will give you the opportunity to learn how to problem-solve, work with a team, and write scientific reports. This is also a great opportunity to become more familiar with MATLAB, circuits, and myDAQs, which allow you to program and collect data in conjunction with a variety of devices.
THE tip: Have a good group dynamic. Decide on team members and register for the same class, if possible. This is a very time-consuming class, so plan your meeting times at the beginning and try to get along with your group. Don’t be afraid to encourage others to take on responsibility.
Recall: Circuits, statistics, BMED 3400, BMED 3100, and the basics of CS 1371
Spend your time… In lab. Become familiar with MATLAB and circuits, especially. You will regularly have to complete experiments outside of scheduled lab times.
Take Home: MATLAB skills, an ability to integrate biology and engineering concepts from multiple classes to address a well-structured research question. Also take away the course’s intent for students to properly utilize statistics to analyze experimental data.