Stacy S. Klein

Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Research Assistant Professor of Teaching & Learning Research Assistant Professor of Radiological Sciences Phone: 615-322-6085 Fax: 615-343-7919 Email: stacy.s.klein@vanderbilt.edu Department of Biomedical Engineering Office: 5818 Stevenson Center Address: Vanderbilt University VU Station B 351631 Nashville, TN 37235-1631

Description of Research Program

Dr. Klein joined the faculty of the Biomedical Engineering Department in September of 1999, first as an adjunct professor and currently as a research professor. Dr. Klein's research focus is in the area of engineering education. She also teaches Biomechanics (BME 101) and a freshmen seminar on the Electrocardiogram (ES 101-05).

For the past seven years through the VaNTH ERC, Dr. Klein has worked to write, field-test, and publish challenge-based high school science curriculum that is based in biomedical engineering. These curricula now exist through the VIBES program and are used by teachers around the US.

Training workshops for high school teachers and college/university professors are held each summer at Vanderbilt and at other sites.

Dr. Klein has also implemented a NSF-funded Research Experiences for Teachers program through the VU BME department. Teachers spend five weeks on campus getting an overview of BME, learning about Legacy Cycle instruction, participating in a BME research project, and writing curriculum for their high school level classrooms that is based in their research project.

Dr. Klein also works with co-PI Cynthia Paschal on a NSF-funded project to design safe, hands-on, inexpensive curriculum to teach medical imaging topics to both high school and college learners. Current materials in field-testing include x-ray, CT, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine. MRI curriculum will be developed in the summer of 2007.

Current Projects

Vanderbilt Instruction in Biomedical Engineering for Secondary Science (VIBES)

VaNTH ERC "How People Learn" Engineering Workshops

Research Experiences for Teachers

Hands-on, Safe, Inexpensive Methods of Teaching Medical Imaging

SyBBURE workshop development and assessment

Several Recent Publications

Websites: VIBES program site: http://www.vanth.org/vibes
RET program site: http://www.vanth.org/Vanderbilt_RET.htm

Klein, SS and Geist, MJ. The Effect of a Bioengineering Unit Across High School Contexts: An Investigation in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Domains.  Accepted to: New Directions in Teaching and Learning. 2006.

Klein, SS. Using a Study of Skin to Teach Stress and Strain in High School Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, and Engineering. Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Education. July 2006.

Garay, CD, P Gonzales, AH McKelvey, A Nguyen, CB Paschal, SS Klein.Teaching Medical Imaging in the High School Physics Classroom: Safe, Hands-On, and Inexpensive Curriculum. American Society for Engineering Education Conference Proceedings. 2006.

Klein, SS, and Sherwood, RD. Biomedical Engineering and Cognitive Science as the Basis for Secondary Science Curriculum Development: A Three Year Study. School Science and Mathematics. 105(8): 384-401. 2005.

Klein, SS, and Sherwood, RD. Biomedical Engineering and Your High School Science Classroom: Challenge-based Curriculum that Meets the NSES Standards.
In: Yager, RE, ed. Exemplary Science in Grades 9-12: Standards-based Success Stories. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. 2005.