A two-channel bioamplifier design as a cross-course experience

A cross-course design experience is an efficient way to stitch together two concurrent, single-semester courses to obtain a meaningful number of design credits without unduly increasing a student's overall load. This paper addresses a project that joined the design credits from two Kansas State University (KSU) courses: ECE 773 — Bioinstrumentation Design Laboratory and ECE 502 — Electronics Laboratory. The goal of each project team was to design, build, and demonstrate a two-channel bioamplifier that is functionally similar to a commercial bioamplifier used in the KSU AP 773 — Bioinstrumentation Laboratory course taken by some of these students. Assessment of the experience was provided via a post-project survey that addressed eight learning objectives, learning in 23 technical areas, project administration, and the overall experience. Survey results were positive across the board. Though the time commitment was significant, the students appreciated the opportunity to work on a complex system that required their collective expertise.