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Cornell University

BEEAR Research Group

Cornell Biomedical Engineering Education, Assessment, and Research (BEEAR) Group

Welcome to the Cornell Biomedical Engineering Education, Assessment, and Research (BEEAR) Group!

Welcome to the BEEAR group!

As both engineers and education researchers, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge, tools, and methodologies to enhance the educational landscape for aspiring engineers. We do this by developing new evidence-based teaching practices and tools—in other words, we are engineering our educational systems to empower an innovative and diverse next generation of engineers to best tackle our world’s challenges. We are particularly interested in disciplinary-focused investigations of engineering, specifically how biomedical engineers think and learn, as well as creating authentic learning environments. 

Our Research Areas:

At the core of our research, we investigate three key and interconnected components of our educational system:

The triangle representing the interconnections between values, pedagogy, and assessment. Each have associated research questions that our group answers: Values - What do we value as engineers? - How are these values being integrated into our curricula and teaching? Pedagogy - What are the best methods for teaching the things that we value as engineers? - How can we create inclusive and equitable pedagogy? Assessment - How can we measure student learning outcomes? - How does pedagogical change impact learning?

  1. Values:

    Our research group seeks to understand what we value as engineers and how these values are represented as learning objectives in our engineering curricula. We are interested in exploring how these values may vary within engineering disciplines or differ from those in other experimental sciences.

  2. Pedagogy:

    Pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching. We are committed to exploring innovative pedagogical approaches that engage and inspire engineering students. Our research group investigates novel teaching methods, technologies, and instructional strategies to create dynamic learning experiences. By integrating these innovative approaches into engineering curricula, we foster the development of essential skills, such as teamwork, technical proficiency, creativity, innovation, and the application of fundamental scientific knowledge to engineering problems.

  3. Assessment:

    We aim to develop research-based assessment instruments to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of engineering education interventions. What are assessment instruments? These are research-based tools that enable instructors and researchers to better understand students’ learning. Our research group creates these tools to help us gather reliable data and insights into the impact of pedagogical innovations on learning outcomes. By continuously refining and adapting our assessment methods, we provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance engineering education.

Through our research endeavors, we contribute to the body of knowledge in engineering education and endeavor to improve the quality of education for aspiring engineers. We actively welcome collaborations, partnerships, and inquiries from students, researchers, educators, and industry professionals who share our passion for evidence-based engineering education.

Please note that this website is currently under construction. Check back soon for updates on our research findings and publications.