Group-Project-Based Development of A Modular Microfluidic Platform: A Case Report on A Hands-on Microfluidics Course

Microfluidic devices manipulate fluids at the micro-or sub-millimeter scale and are used for various applications.Courses on microfluidics offer students an opportunity to learn about microfluidics that may be applicable to their research.Including hands-on experiences in such courses leads to enhanced learning and ability to apply the technology to research and industry settings.In this paper, we introduce a one-semester-long course on microfluidics that integrated in-class lectures with hands-on activities through group-project-based learning.In the first lecturebased half of the course, instead of the traditional class setting where lectures are given by the instructor, students took turns giving lectures on certain chapters of the chosen microfluidics textbook.During this period, students learned about the fundamental theory, various fabrication methods, and current state-of-the-art of microfluidics.The group also developed an idea for their group project under the guidance of the instructor.In the second activity-based half, students received basic training about microfluidic fabrication and experimentation and worked on the group project wherein they solved technical problems together.As the group project, students chose to develop a plug-and-play type modular microfluidic platform for mechanobiological studies.Under the guidance of the instructor, students designed a microfluidic motherboard and microchannel modules with computer aided design (CAD), characterized printing capabilities of the used microfluidic 3D printer, fabricated the parts using 3D printing and soft lithography, and tested the fabricated motherboard and microchannel modules separately and then together.Students found that their prototype was functional but still needed improvement.After the semester, students were each asked to reflect about the course.Altogether, students' reflections show that they perceived that they learned more, were more engaged, and were less stressed in this course than in a traditional lecture-style course.Their learning spanned new knowledge, hands-on skills, research skills, professional skills, and problem-solving skills.While the students were not all able to directly use the knowledge gained through the course in their research, they all reported gaining new skills or knowledge that will be transferrable to their future careers.