An exploration of instructional design for graduate education system in biomedical science: a mixedmethod design

Sep 30, 2026

Biomedical graduate education requires systematic reform because traditional lecture-based approaches fail to meet the interdisciplinary and clinically oriented needs of the field. This study develops a graduate education system for biomedical science using the RPISD approach, aiming to align educational components with the needs of both learners and instructors. Evidence was gathered via literature review, state-and-case analysis, 100 learner surveys, 36 learner interviews, and 15 instructor interviews, supported by a usability test across RPISD phases.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Literature review and case analysis

Learner surveys and interviews

Usability testing

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

Kim and Lim BMC Medical Education (2026) 26:37 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-08316-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-08316-y) BMC Medical Education RESEARCH Open Access An exploration of instructional design for graduate education system in biomedical science: a mixedmethod design Minji Kim 1* and Cheolil Lim2* Abstract Background Biomedical graduate education requires systematic reform, as traditional lecture-based approaches do not meet the interdisciplinary and clinically oriented demands ofthe field. This study aims to develop the education systems in biomedical science using the RPISD to design a data-driven aligned with the needs of learners and instructors. Methods A comprehensive literature review, current state analysis, and relevant case analysis were conducted. Additionally, 100 learner surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and 36 learner and 15 instructor interviews were examined through thematic analysis. A usability test was also performed in alignment with the RPISD phases to validate the framework. Results The study identified 12 educational principles and 18 strategies for the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Specifically, six educational principles and seven educational strategies were developed with respect to the curriculum, four educational principles and five educational strategies in regard to teaching methods, and four educational principles and six educational strategies in relation to the educational environment. Conclusion This framework contributes to higher education by offering a structured model that differs from existing approaches through its emphasis on contextual adaptability and learner-centered design. It provides guidelines for institutions seeking to reform or improve their graduate education systems. Keywords Instructional design, Education system, RPISD model, Mixed method, Biomedical science education *Correspondence: Minji Kim [minjikim1124@snu.ac.kr](minjikim1124@snu.ac.kr)[ ](minjikim1124@snu.ac.kr)Cheolil Lim [chlim@snu.ac.kr](chlim@snu.ac.kr) 1Learning Sciences Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea 2Department of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea Introduction It is essential to develop highly skilled human resources equipped with specialized knowledge to foster the core competencies demanded by future societies. Graduate schools that develop outstanding professionals are of vital importance as premier educational institutions that nurture future scholars and support research activities [1]. In order for graduate schools to effectively cultivate high-level human resources with excellent teaching and research competencies, it is essential that they implement appropriate educational approaches and frameworks that are tailored to their specific fields [2]. © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creati](http://creati)[vecommons.org/l](vecommons.org/l)icenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Kim and Lim BMC Medical Education (2026) 26:37 Page 2 of

FAQs

What problem does the study target in biomedical graduate education?

It targets the mismatch between lecture-based, discipline-specific teaching and the interdisciplinary, research-driven, and practice-oriented demands of biomedical science.

How is the education system framework developed?

The framework is developed using the RPISD approach through literature review, current-state and case analysis, analysis of learner surveys, thematic analysis of interviews, and a usability test aligned with RPISD phases.

What outcomes does the study report from the framework development?

It identifies 12 educational principles and 18 strategies for the Department of Biomedical Sciences, spanning curriculum, teaching methods, and the educational environment.

Sep 30, 2026

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