BMEed Lab Research Assistant (Graduate level position)
Educational Research Internship in the Biomedical Engineering Education & Design (BMEed) Lab
Position: Paid internship for a graduate student with an aptitude for qualitative research.
Description of the Research: The BMEed Lab focuses on curriculum development and educational research in the field of biomedical engineering (BME). We employ qualitative and quantitative instruments to assess the impacts of our curricular interventions on student learning and success. Our focus areas within biomedical engineering education include BME design, biomedical ethics, clinical immersion, and student community-building. We are seeking graduate student interns to work on one of two projects:
- A study on the changes that occur in student abilities and attitudes in response to immersive experiences in urban clinical settings. This project aims to examine student knowledge of the healthcare system and recognition of socioeconomic factors and disparities.
- A study that tracks critical reflections written by students on topics related to biomedical ethics, across our curriculum. This project aims to describe changes in students’ abilities for critical reflection and ethical inquiry in response to frequent curricular experiences.
Please visit https://BMEed.iupui.edu/ to learn more about the lab.
Internship Responsibilities: Graduate interns in the BMEed Lab will work under the supervision of the two lab PIs: Dr. Sharon Miller and Dr. Steve Higbee. We expect that an intern will contribute 10-20 paid hours of work per week (hours are negotiable). Interns will assist with the collection and analysis of student data (e.g., survey responses, written reflections) and will attend weekly research meetings with the PIs. The PIs will encourage interns to present research findings at relevant conferences, and interns are likely to contribute to one or more publications in peer-reviewed journals in the engineering education field. Interns may also play a role in making changes to educational materials (e.g., student assignments, reflection prompts) in response to student feedback.
Research Techniques: Interns are likely to encounter techniques related to the collection, organization, analysis, and presentation of qualitative and quantitative data relevant to engineering education research. These techniques may include thematic analysis, interviews and focus groups, data validation, and descriptive statistics. Interns will also gain experience in data presentation and technical communication.
Prerequisites or Other Requirements: Candidates should be eligible for paid work in the US. A basic background in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods is preferred. Past research experience is desirable but not required.
For more information, please contact Dr. Sharon Miller (sm11@iu.edu) or Dr. Steve Higbee (sjhigbee@iupui.edu).