• Blended Learning & Flipped Classroom

The objectives of the course is the guided attainment, by a strongly experimental approach, of the techniques and issues concerning the development of structures and constructs for biomedical application. The course aims to teach a methodological approach by using specific protocols as examples from the field of biomaterials. The specific goals of the course are:

1. to introduce the students to the techniques and methodology typical of the biomaterial science, where the preparative stage is related to the characterization of biomaterials, by a hands-on approach.
2. to guide the students to acquire a preliminary knowledge about planning a laboratory activity regarding biomaterials and their characterization, through some selected examples of the preparation and characterization of different types of biomaterials, surface modification, processing techniques.  
3. to teach how to discuss the rationale of an activity and its relation to the experimental results 
4. to induce the students to use the acquired knowledge to develop autonomous projects regarding the subjects of the course
5. to produce an effective team work

At the end of the course the students will

- know the basic methodology of the biomaterials preparation and characterization and the related scientific lexicon

- improve the ability to critically use the scientific literature regarding the preparation of biomaterials and their characterization

- be able to set up experimental activities and report them according to an appropriate scientific format

- be able to apply strategies for an effective team work

The Laboratory of Biomaterials provides students a thorough knowledge of experimental methodologies to manage the preparation of materials and smart surfaces. In the part of Laboratory of Instrumental Analysis the most used investigation techniques for chemico-physical, morphological and mechanical characterization of materials are described, with particular emphasis to the techniques used in the biomedical field. As processing is a specific aspect in biomaterials science, some simple examples of processing and surface modification will be addressed. The deep analysis of some examples from scientific literature will contribute to the critical knowledge.

The students have the possibility to use some of the techniques in an experimental and guided path, with a laboratory part fundamental to reach the objective of the course. The methodology of active learning and flipped classroom will be adopted, with ad hoc practicals. The practicals/activities will be chosen as explicative examples of the methodology underlying the principal concepts in the biomaterial field, such as:

1. Preparation and characterization. As case studies, different techniques will be applied to biomedical hydrogels to prepare/synthesise and characterize microspheres, macrogels and biomedical composites. 

2. Manufacturing advanced  materials for specific applications and surface modification techniques. 3D printing of polymeric substrates and surface modification of metallic biomaterials will be used as examples.

3. Characterisation of biomaterials. Introduction to instrumental analysis and the main analytical techniques, such as the different types of microscopy, spectroscopy, and chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, XRD, surface analsys techniques.

3. Design of biomaterials. At the end of the course, the students will be challenged to develop a research protocol for the production and characterisation of a scaffold for a specific application. The different approaches will be discussed by peer review within the groups, than applied during the experimental lab.

From the explicative examples described above, the general concepts will be cooperatively derived, stimulating an active participation of the students.

NOTA IMPORTANTE

L'accesso al corso è a numero limitato. La procedura obbligatoria di richiesta accesso si trova qui http://www.ccsbio.polimi.it/?page_id=27 

It should be noted that this is a limited number access course. The mandatory procedure for access request can be found at http://www.ccsbio.polimi.it/?page_id=27  

Knowledge on material science (polymers, metals, ceramics, composites, natural materials), biomedical application of materials and biocompatibility

The students will work in small groups, and the success of the team will affect the grade, with group evaluations included in the final mark.

Experimental lab and practicals are the prevalent part of the course. The acquirement of the appropriate theoretical knowledge is fundamental to follow the experimental part during the course. For this reason, it will be assessed by pre-lab questions to be answered by the groups. Pre-lab questions and active participation in the class activity will contribute to the final score. Evaluated pre-lesson questions (individual) will be applied when the flipped classroom is applied. 
(40% of the final score)

Two group reports regarding two project activities will be considered part of the evaluation.
(30% of the final score)

An individual oral exam will complete the assessment of the learning.
(30% of the final score)