A Jigsaw Approach to Strategic Considerations in Biomedical Engineering Design and Innovation

We have implemented a jigsaw framework in our biomedical engineering capstone design course by overlaying strategic consideration groups across our design teams. Collaboration in design courses is usually focused within a design team with some peer feedback, but opportunities to work across teams are often limited. The purpose of this teaching tip is to guide other instructors seeking to create opportunities for student-to-student collaboration across project teams. This tutorial also highlights a means to integrate foundational knowledge and analysis of contextual areas in a design course. Knowledge of strategic considerations, such as intellectual property, regulatory affairs, engineering standards, and reimbursement, informs design translation and is valued in industry. Individual and collective learning outcomes may be enhanced by this cooperative learning approach. In addition to providing a specific example of how to implement jigsaw groups across design teams, we propose an assessment instrument to assess the impacts of this approach on student knowledge, collaboration, communication, and confidence in small cohorts. Areas of future considerations include tracking student career paths and post-graduation assessment of knowledge retention.