Using Podcasts to Motivate Bioengineering Capstone Students Toward Learning and Career Exploration

Abstract Purpose Capstone design courses are common culminating experiences across engineering undergraduate programs. In capstone, students are provided a problem, a team, and then tasked with developing an engineering solution and accompanying documentation. These courses are intended to show students how they can translate their skills into their future careers. With the demands of a team-based and often client-focused design project, it can be challenging for students to balance the iterative process, documentation, and time required to meet project objectives while also internalizing the value of the experience for their future careers. This difficult experience may leave a gap in one intended goal of senior design, which is building connections between capstone and career. Methods In this work, we aim to answer the research question: how and in what ways do podcasts featuring industry professionals discussing course topics motivate bioengineering capstone students? In this paper, we evaluate an effort to bridge the gap between industry professionals and capstone courses using podcast interviews aligned with bioengineering capstone course topics. Results We framed study results within the Self-Determination Theory to understand how podcasts may motivate students toward course assignments when aligned with career goals. We show that podcasts featuring industry professionals can motivate students toward course-career connections, seeing the value in course assignments, and connecting with industry professionals. Conclusion We observed podcasts to be a useful medium for bringing industry perspectives into bioengineering courses. We believe that further development of course-related podcast episodes may further enhance the course-career connection for engineering students.