Development of a blended and eLearning course on anatomy and physiology for engineers in Indonesia: Lessons learned and future developments

Abstract

Human anatomy and physiology is an essential part of biomedical engineering (BME) curriculum. This is because while BME consists of diverse subdisciplines such as biomechanics, bioelectronics and biophysics, at the core of it BME is the application of engineering principles to solve problems related to the human body. However, for new BME departments, especially in developing countries like Indonesia, there is often a lack of anatomy and physiology courses tailored for BME students, with students taking courses from other departments such as medicine or pharmacology. This is not ideal, as these courses are designed for different learning outcomes requirements. This paper describes the development and implementation of a course on human anatomy and physiology for engineers that has been implemented both in blended and pure eLearning mode in two universities in Indonesia. It focuses on analogies of the human physiological systems as engineering systems, including tie-in of physiological systems to engineering based quantitative models, as well as BME applications of anatomy and physiology principles. In addition to learning the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology, as a final class project, students are required to conduct a simple design exercise in developing a design applying engineering principles to solve a medical problem. This allows them to start integrating engineering and medical knowledge, which is a key part of BME education. In terms of implementation, the course has been run successfully between the two universities for three semesters, with generally satisfactory learning outcomes. However, there are still some hurdles that merits improvement, notably technical issues related to ICT infrastructure and some pedagogical issues related to higher level learning outcomes in pure eLearning modes. It is hoped that this course and the lessons learned from its development and implementation will contribute to the growth of BME education in Indonesia and beyond.