Advances in Physiology Education最新文献

Competitions outside the medical curriculum provide a platform for medical students to acquire advanced knowledge in specific medical subjects. The Indonesian Medical Physiology Olympiad (IMPhO) is the first and the largest competition in the field of physiology at the national level in Indonesia. It was held for the first time in 2017 and has been an annual physiology competition since then. This competition offers several challenges in different forms, including writing tests and oral rounds, to assess both individual and team capabilities in analyzing and comprehensively understanding human physiology. Consequently, the participants in this competition must have an in-depth understanding of human physiology concepts and develop a winning strategy to become a successful team. This article outlines the preparation strategies employed by the participants of IMPhO in 2022 and how they can be adopted to promote effective study skills for medical students. We conducted a semistructured interview with participants and their accompanying lecturers to explore their strategies for the competition. We highlighted several important strategies, including utilizing resource materials effectively, fostering teamwork, providing mentorship, and emphasizing the role of lecturers as team supervisors. These competition-based learning strategies also can be adopted to promote effective study skills in formal curricula for medical students.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article outlines several important strategies to become a successful team in a physiology competition. These strategies include utilizing resource materials effectively, seeking mentorship, and recognizing the role of lecturers as team supervisors to improve their understanding of human physiology concepts. Furthermore, fostering teamwork and understanding how the competition is structured are crucial for achieving success as a team. These approaches can also be adapted to improve effective study techniques for medical students.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning instructional strategy shown to improve student learning in large-enrollment courses. Although early implementations of TBL proved generally effective in an undergraduate exercise physiology course that delivered an online individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) before class, the instructor reported student dissatisfaction with the use of identical questions in the team readiness assurance test (tRAT) in class. This study sought to improve the student experience in this course by including different but related question sets for the online iRAT and in-class tRAT. Two sections of an upper-level undergraduate exercise physiology course received both the traditional and modified tRAT, alternating approaches with each course unit. This crossover research design exposed more students to the proposed modification and provided more student perspectives than would be collected through other research designs. An independent-sample t test indicated that the modified TBL format made no difference on performance on course unit exams (P > 0.05). However, student survey qualitative data revealed that 69% of students preferred the modified tRAT method to the traditional form. Student responses on the benefits of the modification, represented here as major themes in the analysis, included better content interaction, use of higher-order thinking, and more effective social experience with teams. Although this study showed that different sets of questions for the individual and team quizzes improved the experience but not performance for the majority of students, some students suggested changes to the modification that could further improve the student experience with TBL.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In an exercise physiology course using an already-modified team-based learning approach, this crossover-designed pedagogy trial investigated the learning impact and student experience of introducing different (but related) questions in the in-class team readiness assurance test (tRAT) compared to those given in the individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) that students completed online before class. This approach may be of interest for instructors experimenting with partially flipped classroom designs in a team-based context.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students are typically taught content delivered didactically and closely aligned with the laboratory demonstration of concepts, which facilitates the development of experimental skills. Because of the volume of content delivered across multiple courses, student cognitive abilities can be affected, leading to lower student performance. In physiology and related biological sciences, educators have turned to delivering content with virtual teaching technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, simulations, and other immersive platforms. At the University of South Australia, Articulate Storyline, Unity-based simulations, and immersive software platforms have been implemented across the entire Laboratory Medicine program to assist students in learning lecture and laboratory content. The impact of these individual interventions is outlined in this article. In addition, the final year 2024 cohort is the first group who have used simulations throughout their degree program. Evidence of the benefits and impact of the scaffolded implementation of simulations and immersive software was obtained through a Likert-style questionnaire. The deployment of simulations and immersive software across the degree program has significantly enhanced student learning and engagement with the content, effectively bridging the gap between understanding lecture and laboratory content of students in the Laboratory Medicine program. We suggest that a similar approach could readily be embedded within individual courses as well as across science programs to provide the same benefits to student learning.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We cover the effective application of computer-based simulation and immersive software programs throughout a 4-year laboratory medicine degree. We demonstrate that these technologies significantly improved student learning and engagement. Such an approach is applicable to all disciplines.

Physiology graduates are well-positioned to pursue a career path in the high-demand healthcare industry, but students may lack awareness of the available opportunities. At Monash University, there has been a marked increase in student completion of the Physiology Major for the Bachelor of Science degree. Despite the projected employment growth across health professions, medicine remains the prioritized career aspiration for many physiology students. Alumni career paths are insightful to understanding career trends and possibilities, but there is currently no published information on the employment outcomes of Physiology Major graduates. The professional networking LinkedIn platform was used to track Monash University Bachelor of Science alumni, who graduated with a Physiology Major in 2017 and 2018 (n = 286). Searching the alumni by name on LinkedIn identified 63% of these graduates (n = 180), each of whose further study and profession at the time of data collection in 2023 was noted and categorically analyzed using a coding protocol. Physiology graduates were most commonly employed in health professions (43%) followed by research-related careers (18%) and business or law practice (14%). Of the health professions, a quarter of graduates were studying or working in medicine while the rest were working in allied health areas, with physiotherapy being the most common. Among those in research-related careers, just over half pursued doctoral qualification followed by 24% in research assistant roles and 15% in clinical trial coordination. These findings will reinvigorate the undergraduate physiology curriculum to broaden student awareness of and preparedness for career opportunities within the health professions and research workforce.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to report on Physiology Major graduate employment outcomes, using LinkedIn. The data show that almost half of graduates pursued a career in a health profession after completion of their science degree, followed by 18% in a research career and 14% in business or law practice. With gaps in the health profession workforce, greater efforts are necessary to enhance career awareness for Physiology graduates.

Generative large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can quickly produce informative essays on various topics. However, the information generated cannot be fully trusted, as artificial intelligence (AI) can make factual mistakes. This poses challenges for using such tools in college classrooms. To address this, an adaptable assignment called the ChatGPT Fact-Check was developed to teach students in college science courses the benefits of using LLMs for topic exploration while emphasizing the importance of validating their claims based on evidence. The assignment requires students to use ChatGPT to generate essays, evaluate AI-generated sources, and assess the validity of AI-generated scientific claims (based on experimental evidence in primary sources). The assignment reinforces student learning around responsible AI use for exploration while maintaining evidence-based skepticism. The assignment meets objectives around efficiently leveraging beneficial features of AI, distinguishing evidence types, and evidence-based claim evaluation. Its adaptable nature allows integration across diverse courses to teach students to responsibly use AI for learning while maintaining a critical stance.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Generative large language models (LLMs) (e.g., ChatGPT) often produce erroneous information unsupported by scientific evidence. This article outlines how these limitations may be leveraged to develop critical thinking and teach students the importance of evaluating claims based on experimental evidence. Additionally, the activity highlights positive aspects of generative AI to efficiently explore new topics of interest, while maintaining skepticism.

Research shows that when students use core concepts to guide their reasoning, they are able to construct more accurate, mechanistic explanations. However, there is scant research exploring student's perceptions of the usefulness of core concepts. Knowing students' perceptions could be influential in encouraging faculty to adopt core concept teaching strategies. In this study, we investigated how students perceive the usefulness of using the physiology core concepts to guide their reasoning. We collected the perceptions of undergraduate science majors who had completed Introductory Biology II, which was taught using a subset of physiology core concepts. Eleven student volunteers were interviewed using a semistructured protocol, and 22 students provided end-of-semester reflections. Using a constant comparative method, we identified four emergent themes in students' perceptions: core concepts guide reasoning, core concepts support reasoning and learning across topics and disciplines, core concepts build self-efficacy in reasoning, and drawn core concept tools visualize reasoning. These findings suggest that core concepts, when used as tools to reason with, help students explain rather than memorize physiological phenomena, thus supporting deeper learning and transfer of knowledge to novel contexts. We also found that drawn scaffolding tools play a critical role in helping students organize their thinking, making abstract systems more approachable and supporting mechanistic reasoning. This study is the first qualitative analysis examining students' perceptions of the role core concepts of physiology play in their learning and reasoning processes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We explore how students perceive the benefits of using physiology core concepts in their learning. Students believe core concepts guide and strengthen their reasoning across topics, while improving their confidence in their ability to understand and reason. Our findings provide useful insights for educators on why and how they should integrate the core concepts of physiology into their teaching.

Introductory classes are often a student's first exposure to foundational knowledge, careers, and faculty in an academic major. The characteristics of introductory exercise science courses, as well as faculty impressions of course benefits and areas for improvement, were explored in this study. Electronic survey data from 181 universities around the United States were analyzed. A wide range of course content was reported. Institution type was related to the status of the faculty teaching the course, method of course delivery, class size, and class availability. The number of majors was related to faculty status, class availability, and class size. Specifically, private 4-year institutions were more likely to teach smaller, face-to-face classes. Introduction courses at R1, R2, and doctoral/professional institutions and programs with 300 or more majors were less likely to be taught by only tenured/tenure track faculty. Classes were more likely to be offered in various modalities as opposed to only face-to-face at community colleges, and programs with 300 or more majors were more likely to have classes with 50 or more students. Enrollment in the introductory course was more likely restricted to majors and minors at public 4-year schools and programs with 300 or more majors. Faculty perceived knowledge acquisition and relationship building as benefits of introductory classes for students and programs. The overarching themes for course improvement were modifying course content and characteristics of course delivery. Considering the varied course characteristics, we encourage faculty and administrators to be intentional when designing and implementing introductory exercise science courses.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although introductory courses are important gateways to the exercise science major, there is a lack of consensus on content and delivery. Among institutions across the United States, introductory class size and mode of delivery varied, as well as who could enroll in and who taught the course. Course characteristics were related to institution type and major size. Relationship building and knowledge acquisition were perceived by faculty as key benefits of introductory classes for students and programs.

We have observed two starkly contradictory notions regarding the sympathetic influence on the salivary outflow in discussions with our students. Most of them believe that sympathetic nerves decrease salivation and are antagonistic to parasympathetic nerves. Some students, however, show awareness of the cooperative stimulatory action of both types of autonomic fibers. We have found a similar dichotomy in the descriptions of the sympathetic effect on secretion of the main salivary glands and their inconsistent illustrations in Anatomy/Physiology textbooks. We have investigated the historical roots of this discrepancy. Ludwig discovered excitatory actions of both parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves on salivary flow by 1856. The next year, Czermak proposed the hypothesis of an inhibitory effect of sympathetic nerves, observing their interference with salivation induced by the chorda tympani (i.e., parasympathetic) stimulation. Bernard and Eckhard soon confirmed Ludwig's findings, but Czermak's notion persisted because sympathetically evoked salivation was unstable and potentially abatable by glandular vasoconstriction. The salivary secretory response to moderate sympathetic nerve electrostimulation was reaffirmed by Langley who also discovered salivation in response to adrenaline injection at the beginning of the 20th century. A few years later, Cannon, on a purely theoretical basis, attributed the sensation of dry mouth occasionally associated with fear to hyposalivation induced by elevated sympathetic discharge. Despite subsequent researchers' inability to find unequivocal evidence of salivary flow reduction by sympathetic activation, Cannon's assumption gained acceptance in some textbooks. Most Anatomy/Physiology textbook authors, however, recognized the excitatory action of sympathetic nerves on salivary glands established by Ludwig and Bernard.

Physiology education is at the core of biomedical science and medicine. Physiology unites multiple disciplines to explain the mechanisms whereby a risk factor is associated with disease. Race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity are associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Minority stress theory attempts to explain the association of identity variables in sex and gender minority (SGM) and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations with CVD. However, instruction on how to effectively incorporate the ways that social determinants of health are linked to disease outcomes in marginalized populations, such as the SGM and BIPOC communities, is needed. We investigated the efficacy of teaching minority stress theory concepts in a single lecture in an upper-level cardiovascular pathophysiology course (N = 44 students). To test students' understanding of minority-related disease, we used both subjective and objective measures to evaluate student understanding before and after the lecture. Student self-assessment of understanding of health disparity physiological mechanisms and lifestyle and pharmacological interventions to reduce health disparities in SGM communities increased post intervention. We observed similar results of self-assessment of understanding of health disparity physiological mechanisms and appropriate lifestyle and pharmacological interventions to reduce health disparities regarding the BIPOC community. Our findings suggest that integrating social determinants of health into pathophysiology courses may result in a more inclusive-minded scientific and medical workforce.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Physiology education has historically lacked the inclusion of the social determinants of health and discussion of medically marginalized communities. Here, we show that discussion of cardiovascular disease and psychosocial stress in marginalized communities improves student understanding of the distribution of and causes of cardiovascular disease in marginalized groups. We conclude that more physiology instructors should include discussions on chronic diseases within multiple communities and programs should incorporate social determinants of health into their curricula.

The equilibrium potential of an ion species is a crucial concept for medical students, as it is a prerequisite to fully understanding the pathophysiology of K⁺ imbalances (hyperkalemia and hypokalemia) in clinical practice. However, it remains a challenging concept because current medical physiology textbooks are too simplistic and overlook several essential points. In this article, we present a total of five small but impactful additions to advance the introduction of the equilibrium potential that will eliminate confusion and facilitate mastery-level comprehension.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This novel approach to advance teaching of the equilibrium potential (E_ion) addresses and fills common educational gaps by 1) making a critical point explicit, rather than implicit; 2) introducing overlooked concepts to prevent confusion; 3) adding an effective assessment to promote mastery; and 4) emphasizing the importance of strengthening medical students' understanding of E_ion. These targeted additions facilitate a more comprehensive and transformative learning experience for medical students.