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Biomedical Engineering Education

Biomedical Engineering Education - Poster Session C & D

U31 - BIOEref: Creating Open Education Resources for Fundamental Bioengineering Courses

Friday, October 10, 2025

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT

Location: Exhibit Hall F, G & H

Presenting Author(s)

SG

Shreya Gustafson

Undergraduate Student
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, United States

Co-Author(s)

Jennifer R. Amos

Teaching Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois, United States
Ali Ansari

Teaching Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois, United States
Holly Golecki, PhD

Teaching Associate Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois, United States
Caroline Cvetkovic

Teaching Assistant Professor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, Illinois, United States

Last Author(s)

Caroline Cvetkovic

Teaching Assistant Professor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, Illinois, United States

Primary Investigator(s)

Caroline Cvetkovic

Teaching Assistant Professor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, Illinois, United States

Introduction: : Bioengineering (BIOE) programs may lack a standardized curricular framework for comparing and coordinating, hindering students’ ability to transfer knowledge across courses and understand the broader context of their learning. Given the interdisciplinary nature and the lack of standardized bioengineering textbooks or terminology, a scalable reference system offers immense value to departments seeking curricular coherence and contextual relevance. Without a consistent scaffold, students struggle to build an integrated understanding of core concepts or see how foundational learning connects to later applications.

Inspired by the successful implementation of the MechSE Reference Pages (“MechRef”) [1] at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, our team is adapting the framework through the creation of “BIOEref” Pages that aim to standardize terminology and key concepts, streamline curriculum pathways, and embed interdisciplinary relevance into foundational engineering principles. Unlike static resources, BIOEref will be dynamic and cross-referenced, helping students connect ideas across different disciplines (including mechanical and electrical engineering as well as biological and physical sciences).

Building upon the success of MechRef, BIOEref aims to offer students a cohesive, contextualized academic journey that equips students for diverse careers in bioengineering and reduces barriers to knowledge transfer. Moreover, these structured reference tools will highlight conceptual overlaps and applications across courses using curated content modules tailored to the KEEN framework’s 3Cs: curiosity, creating value, and connection.

Materials and

Methods: : The BIOEref Pages will be developed for five key courses in the bioengineering undergraduate curriculum at Illinois: BIOE 201 Conservation Principles, BIOE 205 Signals and Systems, BIOE 360 Transport and Flow, BIOE 400 Senior Design, and BIOE 498 Introduction to Soft Robotics. Each course page will synthesize instructor notes, relevant prerequisite content, and link to existing reference pages for different fields where applicable. Moreover, features such as “Heads Up” and “Did You Know?” sections will highlight relevance to future coursework, research, clinical practice, and industry, inspiring career exploration and relevance-driven learning.

A graduate assistant will serve as both content developer and project manager through coordinating undergraduate contributors, schedules, and project timelines. They will proofread pages for accuracy and cohesion across courses, analyze evaluation data, and draft journal articles about the project. Undergraduate students will work to transform raw course materials into pedagogically sound reference pages, featuring core definitions, example problems, cross-referenced applications, and visual aids. Throughout development, the team will consult with faculty to ensure disciplinary accuracy and teaching alignment. Student input will be incorporated via focus groups to improve usability and perceived relevance.

For evaluation of BIOEref pages, the use frequency of the pages throughout the semester will be examined, paired with a 4-question survey that focuses on KEEN’s 3Cs. In addition, pre- and post-term student data will be collected across participating courses to compare surface vs. deep learning approaches, strategies, and student motivation using the Bigg’s Revised Study Process Questionnaire.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions:: Preliminary analysis from comparable reference systems, namely the MechRef Pages, has informed the anticipated impact of BIOEref on bioengineering students’ conceptual engagement and motivation. Survey data from over 1,200 students across introductory Statics, Dynamics, and Solid Mechanics courses revealed that student perceptions of the KEEN 3Cs improved most significantly in Dynamics courses that featured animated and interdisciplinary reference pages [2].

Specifically, students identified real-world applications four times more often by the semester end, indicating that conceptual connections, when presented visually and contextually, can deepen curiosity and engagement. Solid Mechanics (structured as a classic-style course) maintained high exposure to traditional beam problems, which correlated with a decline in student-identified applications and perceived relevance over time. Complementary findings from a 2025 usage analysis revealed high engagement when reference systems were centralized and contextually linked. Students favored materials that connected technical skills to domain-specific applications, especially when pages included “Did You Know?” facts and career annotations.

Our novel BIOEref system addresses a pressing gap in bioengineering education by establishing a structured and interconnected framework across core courses. The pages allow students to gain greater curricular cohesion and contextual relevance, which is especially critical in a rapidly evolving and interdisciplinary field like bioengineering. BIOEref’s integrated design addresses these gaps. Early usage data of MechRef suggests that centralized tools can enhance curricular cohesion, though the unique interdisciplinary nature of BIOEref may yield greater benefits beyond what existing metrics capture.

For BIOEref, we expect usage frequency and 3Cs-aligned survey responses to correlate with more modular, visual content. Evaluation will track changes in student motivation and learning strategies using the Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F), offering insight into how deep learning is fostered through contextualized materials. Based on MechRef data, we anticipate increased intrinsic motivation, broader career exploration, and improved knowledge transfer across courses. Instructors will also benefit from shared terminology and consistent curricular scaffolding.

Ultimately, BIOEref Pages have the potential to become a universally accessible resource that strengthens bioengineering programs beyond the University of Illinois. Our open-source structure supports adaptation by other departments seeking curricular unity and entrepreneurial engagement.

Acknowledgements and/or References (Optional): : We would like to acknowledge the RefPages Team at Illinois, the Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education (AE3), and KEEN.

References:
[1] https://www.refpages.org/
[2] M. R. Hoyle et al., "Making space for curiosity, connection, and creating value by integrating real-world examples into engineering education," Proc. ASEE Annu. Conf. Expo., Montréal, QC, Canada, Jun. 2025, Paper ID #47169.
[3] J.-C. Raymond-Bertrand et al., "Evaluating reference page engagement and OER expansion in foundational engineering education," Proc. ASEE Annu. Conf. Expo., Montréal, QC, Canada, Jun. 2025, Paper ID #47168.