AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL MODULE INTEGRATING ELECTRONICS, MATHEMATICS, PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE AND PHYSIOLOGY TO CULTIVATE CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Abstract

Incorporating creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship education in the curriculum of university level programs of health sciences will enable the graduates to tackle complex healthcare and biomedical problems. However, the traditional educational models are insufficient to address these needs. For effective problem solving and innovation, educational systems with integrative and interdisciplinary components are necessary. This paper introduces an interdisciplinary education module tailored for graduate students of health sciences students. The module combines four disciplines - physiology, electronics, programming, and mathematics, to impart education through a problem-based, hands-on approach. The interdisciplinary module will enable students from diverse academic backgrounds to collaboratively work to design and develop an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal acquisition system and interpret ECG data. We have also provided methods to evaluate the learning outcomes by assessing creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship through methods such as creating open-ended designs, real-world problem-solving challenges, entrepreneurship pitches, collaborative peer reviews, and writing reflective reports. This integrated hands-on learning framework inspires interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking among graduate level students of health sciences to develop practical and novel solutions to healthcare challenges. By imparting foundational theoretical knowledge along with the necessary skills and competencies, this module will contribute to the advancement of education and entrepreneurship in health sciences.