Traditionally, introductory engineering courses are divided into two learning environments: large classroom lectures with a teacher-centered, passive learning environment, and laboratory instruction with a more interactive learning environment. My approach is to integrate a student-centered, active learning environment into all aspects of instruction, including taking full advantage of current instructional technologies, to engage students in the classroom, laboratory, and also outside of class (see Methods section below). Biomechanical theory is presented as an important tool for biomedical investigation, invention, and design, using design examples (including examples in nature and biomedical device design) and design exercises as inspiration and motivation for learning biomechanical theory. My own experiences as a teaching assistant and student have reinforced my belief that creating an active and creative learning environment will foster interest and encourage independent, in-depth learning in this evolving field.

Goals
This is a first course in mechanics for biomedical engineering students, introducing the topics of statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials, and presenting applications of these topics in biomedical engineering research and design. One of my overall goals is to introduce mechanics as a simple, quantitative tool to formulate and solve problems. I find that engineering theory is best presented through examples and exercises that involve problem formulation and problem solving. In preparing lectures, I focus on framing lecture material in the context of an engineering design or research problem, which can then be solved utilizing the theoretical material that follows. Each course topic is introduced in the form of a biomedical engineering research or design ‘case study’, and reference to this ‘case study’ is made consistently throughout presentation of the topic (see Example Case Study). By constantly relating course material to applications in design or research (an inductive learning approach), students become more adept in applying the theory, and, as more complex and challenging ‘case studies’ are presented, feel motivated to learn more about this complex subject (complete list of course goals are presented in the Course Syllabus).

Methods
Biomechanics is inherently “physical”, and thus offers excellent opportunities for active, student-centered learning in the classroom and laboratory. Due to large class sizes and the volume of material that must be covered in this one semester course, lectures are a necessary means of efficiently delivering course material. However, several approaches will be used to promote interaction and in-class participation during lectures. These will include ‘hands-on’ demonstrations of mechanical phenomena (e.g. bending, buckling, brittle failure. see Sample Demonstration). Demonstrations include examples which are counterintuitive when first encountered by the student, but can be understood by carefully examining theory. Another classroom activity that I have found useful is the use of in-class worksheets or exercises. Students are given a set of short questions based on material just presented in lecture, and work with neighboring students and the instructor to answer them (see Sample Worksheet). These activities reinforce lecture material as it is presented, spur active discussion and interaction during lecture, and allow me to gage students' comprehension of the material as it is presented. To facilitate these types of activities in larger classrooms or lecture halls, exercises may also make use of ‘personal response systems’ (see Instructional Technology), which allow students to participate in answering questions posed during lectures, with responses gathered in real-time. These in-class activities also engage students with different learning styles, incorporating visual, active, and collaborative elements into lecture presentations.

Outside of lecture, course concepts will be reinforced in several ways. First, course material will be practiced with problem solving and design exercises (see example Design Exercise). Informal discussion sections with teaching assistants will held weekly to answer student's questions, as well as encourage collaboration in problem solving and foster creativity in design. A series of laboratories are also an integral part of the course. These sessions are timed to reinforce lecture concepts as they are presented, and give students experience in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Write-ups of laboratory work are designed to have students reflect on their laboratory experiences, comparing theory to their own data and thinking critically about differences between the two. Additionally, to get students thinking about new course topics before they are presented in lecture, online discussion boards are utilized to begin discussions of new class topics before they are presented in lecture (see Blackboard Discussion Boards below).

To help students understand the roles of biomechanics beyond the classroom topics presented, I also intend to utilize a course blog (see Example Blog - coming soon) to post current topics of interest and links to recent literature in various areas of biomechanics, and encourage online feedback to these posts. I may also post my own reflections on recent experiences in my laboratory or to talks of interest at recently attended conferences. In this way, I hope to more broadly expose students to the field of biomechanics and encourage discussion of topics beyond those presented in class.

Instructional Technology
This course will leverage several technologies in order to facilitate learning inside and outside of the classroom. A Blackboard course site is used as a primary hub for distribution and archiving of course materials, for communication via announcements and class-wide emails, as well as to facilitate course discussions through the use of Discussion Boards. Discussion Boards [Blackboard screen capture- coming soon] are used to discuss 'case study' readings prior to the in-class presentation of a new topic (student participation evaluated). I have found that these activities get students thinking about new course material outside of class and result in enhanced classroom discussions and comprehension. Discussion Boards are also available for students to discuss design exercises.

I also make use of Powerpoint to supplement ‘whiteboard’ lectures and present lecture overviews in an organized manner. Powerpoint also facilitates clear, efficient presentation of schematics and graphics which enhance 'whiteboard' material, including videos of dynamic biomechanical processes and actual biomechanical experiments (see micropipette video in Teaching Materials). These materials are archived on Blackboard for students to review.

This semester I have taken a course in Instructional Uses of Technology here at Duke (GS301). This course has spurred my interest in several technologies which I am considering for use in the classroom and laboratory. A 'Personal response system' is a techology that appears particularly useful in creating an active learning environment in large lecture hall situations (an example system). These systems permit instructors to rapidly gather class responses in real-time, allowing the instructor to engage students and assess comprehension as material is presented. Responses are anonymous, encouraging participation from students who otherwise may be too intimidated to participate in a large class setting.

Another interesting technology is the use of Podcasts to enhance classroom and laboratory experiences. A particular use that intrigues me is the use of short Podcasts to prep students for upcoming labs. These “lab preview” video podcasts (see example implemented for biology courses at Purdue University) are created to prep students for each lab, reviewing protocols and identifying common mistakes and problem areas. This could be particularly useful for labs in this course, which are typically time-intensive and require efficient use of the entire laboratory period. Similarly, "preview/review" podcasts may also be useful to review key class concepts from the previous week’s lectures (or preview upcoming material), focusing particularly on difficult concepts (as identified by teaching assistants and previous course evaluations). By subscribing to class podcasts, these materials can be efficiently distributed to a class and available for convenient viewing and reviewing. Thus, podcasts may offer a unique audio/video tool to promote classroom and laboratory ideas outside of the classroom.