Introduction to Computational Biomechanics or The study of Human Movement

1
Introduction to Computational Biomechanics or
The study of Human Movement

• Bob Freeman
• UT - Pan American
• 1/13/04

2
Course Content

• Anatomy the science of the structure of the body
• Functional Anatomy the study of body components
  needed to achieve or perform a human movement or
  function
• Specific body components
• Upper Extremity
• The Shoulder complex
• The Elbow and Radioulnar Joints
• The Wrist and Fingers
• Lower Extremity
• The Pelvic and Hip Complex
• The Knee Joint
• The Ankle and Foot

3
Course Style

• Based on research of Learning Scientists
  concerning How People Learn (HPL)
• Designed to combat the common problem of
  students inability to apply learning to relevant
  situations.
• Challenge-based Learning Modules employing the
  Legacy Cycle
• Challenges provide students with the conditions
  for when and how to apply specific knowledge.
• Lots of interactive and group activities

4
Description of How People Learn Framework

• Learner-centered environments focus on the
  knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students
  bring to the learning situation
• Knowledge-centered environments focus on content
  that is organized around big ideas or core
  concepts
• Assessment-centered environments help students
  thinking to become more visible so that both they
  and their teachers may assess and revise their
  understanding
• Community-centered environments capitalize on
  local expertise to create a sense of
  collaboration among students

5
Five criteria for HPL driven design

• Students develop own ideas for solving a complex
  problem
• Explicit outcomes to enhance student
  self-assessment
• Students work in groupssocial mediation of
  knowledge solutions
• Students test own solutions through hands-on
  activities and computer simulations
• Instructors provide well-defined structure for
  learning opportunities

6
Challenges should

• Be accessible to students (in the sense that they
  can generate ideas)
• Be motivating to students (by tapping into their
  interests)
• Provide a context for how knowledge is used (and
  can be used to provide access to multiple
  perspectives on knowledge for a given context)
• Be complex enough to provide links into several
  concepts that help students to differentiate how
  these concepts are used and relate to each other

7
Legacy Cycle

• Look ahead Develop learning goals
• Challenge 1 Lower difficulty level
• a. Generate ideas Students initial thoughts
• b. Multiple perspectives Expert approaches
• c. Research and revise Reference materials
• d. Test your mettle Formative assessment
• e. Go public High stakes motivating component
• Challenge 2-N Progressively more ambitious
• Reflect back Student self-assessment.
• Leaving Legacies Student provided insights

8
Look ahead

• The learning task and desired knowledge outcomes
  are described here.
• This step also allows for pre-assessment
• Serves as a benchmark for self-assessment in the
  Reflect Back step.

9
Challenge 1

• The first challenge is a lower difficulty level
  problem dealing with the topic.
• The student is provided with information needed
  to understand the challenge.

10
Generate ideas

• Students are asked to generate a list of issues
  and answers that they think are relevant to the
  challenge
• to share ideas with fellow students
• and to appreciate which ideas are new and to
  revise their list.

11
Multiple perspectives

• The student is asked to elicit ideas and
  approaches concerning this challenge from
  experts.
• These will be in the form of video taped
  diatribes from experts in the field.

12
Research and revise

• Reference materials to help the student reach the
  goals of exploring the challenge and to revise
  their original ideas are introduced here.
• Some of the materials will be directly provided,
  others will be "self-obtained".

13
Test your mettle

• Formative instructional events are now presented.
  
• These will be in the form of homework and
  quizzes.

14
Go public

• This is a high stakes motivating component
  introduced to motivate the student to do well.
• You will all get the opportunity to make a
  presentation(s) to the class.
• We will also post the content of the
  presentations on the web.

15
Challenge 2 - N

• The following progressively more ambitious
  challenges enable the student to progressively
  deepen their knowledge of the topic being
  explored.
• They are to repeat the complete cycle (a-e) for
  each challenge.
• The number of challenges is dependent on the
  richness of the topic.

16
Reflect back

• This gives student the opportunity for
  self-assessment.

17
Leaving Legacies

• The student is asked to provide solutions and
  insights for learning to next cohort of students
  as well as to the instructor(s).
• One technique that students can use is to create
  their own Multiple Perspectives materials.

18
Selected HPL Modules and example materials

• Iron Cross (Shoulder complex) http//utwired.engr.
  utexas.edu/pandy/webpages/
• Elbow
• Virtual Biomechanics Lab / Walking (Lower
  Extremity) http//ficp.engr.utexas.edu/VaNTH/index
  .html
• Jumping Jack (Lower Extremity) http//www.bme.utex
  as.edu/classes/bme342/Jumping_Jack/
• Your ACL and You (Knee)
• Other, eg. http//www.sportsknee.com/

19
Questions?