Abstract: The project-driven teaching method has gradually been accepted in college experimental teaching in recent years to motivate students and improve their practical ability, innovative spirit and independent learning ability by completing actual projects. Aiming at the problems of isolated knowledge and insufficient cultivation of students′ practical ability and innovative spirit in the experimental teaching of biomedical engineering subject foundation courses in medical universities, since 2017, Air Force Medical University has implemented a project-driven teaching method among 76 students of the four-year biomedical engineering program from grade 2016 to 2019. Strategies included adding teaching modules, selecting of experimental projects, and refining the teaching implementation process, optimizing assessment indicators. The teaching effect was evaluated by experimental examination and questionnaire survey. According to the results, the experimental score of the students was (91.11±2.04), and excellent rate has reached 81.6%(62/76). All of the students liked the project driven teaching method and thought that their team cooperation ability had been improved through the project driven experiment. A total of 89.5% (68/76) of the students thought that the project driven experiment was helpful to the cultivation of innovation spirit, and 78.9% (60/76) thought that it was very helpful to the cultivation of engineering practice ability and scientific research ability. All of the students thought that the project-driven teaching method solved or partially solved the problem of isolated knowledge and loose logical connection among courses in traditional experimental teaching. The application of project-driven teaching method in biomedical engineering experimental teaching had achieved good results, was recognized by students, and helpful to improve the students′ engineering practice ability and innovation spirit.

Key words: Teaching method, Project driven, Experimental teaching, Integration of medical and engineering, Innovative spirit