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Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

Each week in this ongoing class, students will discover some of the challenges of the field of biomedical engineering.
Adrian Spencer
Average rating:
4.7
Number of reviews:
(3)
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
1 in-class hours per week

Class Experience

Students do not need to have any prior knowledge or have attended previous sessions to participate in a session.

Week of June 15: Human Body Systems
 - Essential Questions: What is biomedical engineering? What are the major human body systems?
 - Learning Goals: Define biomedical engineering and name some examples (e.g., tissue engineering, genetic engineering, medical devices, etc.). Identify the major organs of at least one human body system and explain how the health of that body system is essential to overall health.
 - Activity Types: Reading, Drawing, and Discussion

Week of June 22: Challenges in Designing Medical Technology
 - Essential Question: What are some considerations that need to be taken into account when designing medical technology?
 - Learning Goals: Explain how environmental and/or consumer considerations affect product design. Identify the historical impact of at least one medical technology.
 - Activity Types: Reading, Video, Hands-On, and Discussion

Week of June 29: Medical Imaging Technologies
 - Essential Question: What technologies do doctors use to diagnose medical conditions?
 - Learning Goal: Identify multiple types of medical imaging technologies and explain how at least one of those technologies work. 
 - Activity Types: Presentation and Hands-On Activities

Week of July 6: Diabetes Technologies
 - Essential Question: How is medical technology used to help people with chronic conditions such as diabetes?
 - Learning Goals: Identify three molecules cells need and how they get from food/air to the cells. Identify two or more technologies used to manage diabetes.
 - Activity Types: Reading, Hands-On, and Discussion

Week of July 13: Kidney Dialysis Technology
 - Essential Question: How can medical science help people who have malfunctioning organs?
 - Learning Goal: Model and explain the function and purpose of  kidney dialysis.
 - Activity Types: Presentation, Hands-On, and Discussion

Week of July 20: Pacemakers
 - Essential Question: How can medical science help people who have malfunctioning organs?
 - Learning Goals: Model and explain the function and purpose of pacemakers.
 - Activity Types: Reading, Hands-On, and Discussion

Week of July 27: Artificial Hearts
 - Essential Question: How can medical science help people who need replacement internal organs?
 - Learning Goals: Describe the general size, location and function of the heart, and compare that to artificial heart models.
 - Activity Types: Discussion and Drawing

Week of August 3: Prosthetics
 - Essential Questions: How can medical science help people who have lost external organs and/or limbs? How does a patient’s functional and aesthetic goals influence the design of a prosthetic? What considerations and trade-offs need to be made?
 - Learning Goal: Design a prosthetic for a particular purpose.
 - Activity Types: Discussion and Drawing

Learning Goals

See Learning Goals by week, above.
learning goal

Other Details

Supply List
Human Body Systems
 - Drawing paper
 - Drawing utensils (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)

Challenges in Designing Medical Technology
 - Index cards (about 25)
 - A waterproof basin of some sort, at least 10" in length or width (plastic storage bins work great)
 - Enough of either water or pebbles to cover the bottom of your basin
 - Either an object of approximately the same size and weight of a cell phone or a 2-foot measuring tape or two 12" rulers

Medical Imaging Technologies
- Various permanent magnets of different shapes, sizes, and strengths (refrigerator magnets will work, but not as well as bar and horseshoe magnets)
 - Metal (non-coated) paper clips
 - A sealed bag containing a 3x5 index card and a teaspoon of iron filings

Diabetes Technologies
 - A large, clear workspace
 - Masking tape
 - 6 index cards
 - A writing utensil
 - A hole punch or other way of putting a hole into an index card
 - Chenille stems (pipe cleaners) in three distinct colors - 15 of one color twisted in sets of three, 30 of a second color twisted into sets of 3, and 40 of a third color (not twisted). If you would like to substitute something else for the chenille stems, it needs to be able to be twisted and untwisted and it needs to fit through a hole in an index card.

Kidney Dialysis Technology
 - Food coloring (preferably red, optional)
 - Cups (2)
 - Pipette (or teaspoon)
 - Water
 - Squares of miscellaneous materials, such as cardboard, copy paper, paper napkins/towels, magazine paper, paper plates, fabric squares, or newspaper (at least four different materials are needed - more is better)

Pacemakers
 - Plastic wide-mouth jar
 - Water
 - Balloons (2 or more)
 - Skewer
 - Flexible straws (2)
 - Scissors
 - Tape
 - Tub, pail, or bowl to collect water spills

Artificial Hearts
 - Drawing paper
 - Drawing utensils (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)

Prosthetics
 - Drawing paper
 - Drawing utensils (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2020
4.7
3reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I specialize in STEM classes and gifted classes for elementary (K-8) learners. I sometimes teach other types of classes.

I have been a classroom teacher in public, charter, and private settings from grade 3 to grade 8. I have also taught and/or assisted with gifted enrichment classes (after school, weekend, and summer camp programs) and have taught students as young as 4 in this setting. Most of the classes I've taught have been STEM classes, but my educational background is general elementary education.

In classes that involve explicit instruction, I like to incorporate a lot of concrete, hands-on, and interactive elements. In other types of classes, such as book clubs, I include both teacher-guided and student-led discussion.

A fun fact about me: I am slowly working on restoring my 90+ year old home to its original aesthetic. This involves a lot of paint stripping.

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$12

weekly

1x per week
60 min
Completed by 24 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
3-8 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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