Idea generation in biomedical engineering courses using Design Heuristics

ABSTRACT

With increasing demand for improved medical equipment and healthcare, next-generation biomedical engineers need strong design skills. Equipping biomedical engineering students with tools for idea generation and development can increase student design success. Design Heuristics are an ideation tool developed through empirical studies of product designs. While identified in the mechanical engineering space, Design Heuristics may be applicable in biomedical engineering design. In our study, we implemented a Design Heuristics session during upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate biomedical engineering design courses. We examined the applicability of Design Heuristics within individual and team concept generation contexts. The findings demonstrated that biomedical engineering students were able to use Design Heuristics to generate multiple concepts, and that initial concepts produced using Design Heuristics were carried over into final team design. The results support the applicability of Design Heuristics to student idea generation in biomedical engineering design.     

English in Education: the first fifty years

On the fiftieth anniversary of the first publication of English in Education, this article reviews the journal's contribution to research and practice in the teaching of English. A thematic analysis based on close study of a sample of volumes is arranged chronologically (to show the development of ideas and practices) and thematically in terms of language mode (speaking; writing; reading, including new technologies). The article argues that the journal archive can shed light on the educational past in ways that can effectively inform the educational present and help to set agenda for the future.     

二十世纪日本汉学界之荀子名学研究综述

在先秦时期,除了名家和墨家之外,在名学研究方面,其成就最大的当属荀子。荀子对于先秦名学之贡献主要是进一步批判和发展名家和墨辩之名学,使儒家之名学更加严谨。然而,历来有关荀子之研究多着眼于其心、性、天、礼等之探讨,而疏于抉发其名学之义蕴。直到近年来,由于大陆学界积极挖掘中国古代之逻辑思想,以免西方逻辑专美于前,于是有关中国逻辑史或逻辑思想之论着,如雨后春笋般出现。此等有关中国逻辑论者之研究对象主要为先秦时期讨论名实辩说之篇章,尤其是公孙龙、墨辩和荀子名学之研究。此外,由于一些国外学者之参与,使得中国古代逻辑之研究,尤其是关于荀子名学之研究,如今已成一较为普遍之现象。有关荀子之研究,日本汉学界已作出极为可喜之成绩。唯历来有关荀子之研究,日本汉学界多着重其心、性、天、礼或政治、伦理学说之阐述,而较疏于其名学之研究。然而,就目前已发表之论着而言,无论是在厘清荀子之哲学立场或对于名学之分析等,亦颇有其独到之处,值得吾人借镜。     

A Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Research on Mathematics Word Problem-Solving Interventions for English Learners with Learning Disabilities and Mathematics Difficulties

This single-case meta-analysis is the first to provide a quantitative synthesis of the published literature on mathematics word problem-solving intervention studies for English learners with learning disabilities and mathematics difficulties. A total of ten single-subject studies were included for analysis. The current study investigated the magnitude of the effect of mathematics interventions targeting the improvement of students’ mathematics word problem-solving performance, and analyzed variables that moderated this effect. Results indicate a moderate overall effect size of 0.81 (95% CI [0.71, 0.90]) on word problem-solving performance for English learners with learning disabilities and mathematics difficulties. Moderator variables such as the implementer of the interventions, instructional focus, and word problem-solving content significantly moderated the mathematics intervention effects.     

A Comparison of Text,Voice, and Screencasting Feedback to Online Students

The emergence of simple video and voice recording software has allowed faculty to deliver online course content in a variety of rich formats. But most faculty are still using traditional text comments for feedback to students. The author launched a study comparing student and faculty perceptions of text, voice, and screencasting feedback. The results provide some interesting insights into the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of feedback. The author finishes with best practices for providing screencasting feedback to students.