This project provides a series of for-credit, applied learning modules that are given in parallel to the freshman and sophomore calculus courses. The modules are developed and led by faculty members from the Departments of Mathematical Science and Bioengineering. An important component of the project is that advanced undergraduate students serve as peer mentors to the STEM students who are taking the modules. This project recruits participants from all STEM majors with special efforts to recruiting from underrepresented groups such as women, minorities, first-generation college students, and community college transfers. Students have the opportunity to enroll in one applied learning module per semester for up to four semesters. The proposed modules emphasizes mathematics and statistics relevant to four biomedical research areas 1) orthopaedics, 2) infectious diseases, 3) heat propagation in the human body, 4) mammography and radiology. Students participate in field trips to visit facilities and labs related to their module. Each semester students have access to online faculty-developed audio-video materials via the project website.
With an increasing demand for biomedical and bioengineering professionals in the coming decades, educators are required to train a greater number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students who are able to apply mathematical concepts to critical health care decisions. In this project, we have developed a series of for-credit, applied learning modules that are being given in parallel to the freshman and sophomore calculus curriculum. These modules use creative inquiry and applied learning experiences to connect mathematical concepts with bioengineering and medical applications. We hypothesize that exposure and participation in the applied learning experiences outside of standard mathematics classes, will improve the students’ performance and perceived appreciation for their math curriculum. The semestr long four module series have been offered over a 3 year period to more than 200 students, and emphasize mathematics and statistics relevant to four biomedical research areas 1) orthopaedics, 2) infectious diseases, 3) heat propagation (arc flash) in the human body, and 4) mammography and radiology. In class activities are complimented with biomedical and power plant facility field trips including field trips to the Emory University Center for Systems Imaging, Center for Disease Control (CDC), Greenville Hospital, greater access to professors and tutors outside of class, and audio-video tutorials. Assessment of project outcomes consists of a formative and summative evaluation. When complete, pre and post surveys, follow-up surveys, and exit interviews have been used to assess the student’s satisfaction with the modules, usefulness of the field-trips, and to gage student understanding of uses of mathematics in STEM fields. The project value to STEM goals are found in 1) convincing students through applied learning experiences that mathematics is an important component of any research plan and indispensable to their career success, and (2) ensuring that these students do not falter in calculus and abandon their STEM goals. Furthermore, we are developing two educational apps (i) EPI-CALC app based on infectious disease module and (ii) another app based on mammography and radiology to reach broader audience including K-12 students and teachers. We have also presented our work in half a dozen conferences and published half a dozen papers in journals and proceedings disseminating our activities and findings in the project to the greater STEM community.
