Integrating Biological Context into Computing Education: Enhancing Interdisciplinary Learning in Biomedical Engineering

Teaching BME 303 -Introduction to Computing, which covers programming languages such as C++ and Python, addresses the challenge of teaching foundational coding concepts while ensuring their applicability to biomedical engineering (BME).Recognizing that programming can sometimes appear abstract and disconnected from students' fields of interest, the course integrates biological and mathematical problems to bridge this gap, enabling students to apply computational tools to real-world applications.Since 2022, the course has transitioned entirely to BME-focused examples, such as modeling population dynamics, analyzing biomedical images, and implementing cellular automata for disease modeling.Student feedback highlights increased confidence and relevance, while project topics showcase a deep engagement with BME-related challenges.