Advances in Physiology Education最新文献

Neuroanatomy is essential in clinical neurology for localization and differential diagnoses, yet the pace of residency can limit time to reinforce foundational concepts. This proof-of-concept study aimed to examine neurology residents' perceptions of the acceptability (e.g., ease of use, engagement, educational value, and practicality of implementation) of a guided virtual reality (VR) neuroanatomy learning experience. The authors worked closely with the information technology (IT) department to address technical issues, including having a dedicated Wi-Fi signal with sufficient strength, preventing headset network switching, and avoiding institutional firewalls. Five neurology residents (n = 5) completed a 40-min guided VR session using the Organon software on an Oculus Quest 3 headset, covering cerebrovascular arterial supply, cerebral venous sinuses, ventricular anatomy, and major cortical structures. Residents completed pre- and postsession surveys that included questions about their perceptions of the VR experience and open-ended questions. Participants also completed knowledge quizzes at presession, immediate postsession, and 3-wk follow-up, as a secondary, exploratory outcome. Overall, residents reported the VR experience as user-friendly and engaging and offered actionable suggestions to enhance its implementation and instructional value for advanced learners. The results of the knowledge quizzes are informative and useful for refining the protocol and informing a larger cohort to better characterize acceptability and implementation within neurology residency training.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This proof-of-concept study introduced a guided virtual reality (VR) neuroanatomy lesson for neurology residents using Organon on Oculus Quest 3. Five residents completed a 40-min session and rated it highly for engagement, ease of use, and educational value. They suggested more anatomical detail for advanced learners. Pre- and postquizzes on the Residency-In-Training Examination (RITE) topics were collected to inform improvements and guide future studies.

The advent of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is already impacting pedagogical strategies and assessment methodologies in higher education, particularly in the biological sciences, which have traditionally relied heavily on written assessments. GenAI's rapid and plausible text generation capabilities challenge traditional written assessments and prompt a shift toward more authentic assessment types. This article explores innovative applications of GenAI in biology education through case studies presented at a recent workshop. These case studies illustrate how GenAI has the potential to enhance academic activities, from developing learning resources to fostering student engagement through active learning strategies. The discussion highlights a shift from product-oriented assessments to process-oriented approaches that prioritize continuous interaction, iteration, and reflection among learners. Despite GenAI's reliance on preexisting data, raising concerns about originality and contextual accuracy, and its limitations in tasks requiring high creativity and deep understanding, it has the potential to enhance educational practices when applied with awareness of its constraints. The article concludes with a balanced analysis of the transformative impact and inherent challenges of integrating GenAI into biology education, advocating for thoughtful implementation to ensure it augments rather than replaces traditional teaching methods.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming higher education by enabling rapid learning resource development, enhancing student engagement, and supporting authentic assessment. Our workshop-based case studies highlight GenAI's ability to foster interactive, process-oriented learning in biosciences while addressing challenges with creativity and originality. From creating tailored quizzes to promoting active learning and ethical AI use, these strategies empower educators to integrate AI responsibly, ensuring it enriches teaching and learning in bioscience education while maintaining academic integrity.

Muscle physiology is included in the core curriculum in the biomedical, health, and exercise science fields. It is always challenging to understand the dynamic nature of motor unit (MU) functioning, neuromuscular activity, or muscle contractions. Different teaching instruments can be used during a didactic lecture to make it more engaging for the students, including the use of electromyography (EMG) and dynamometry techniques. EMG serves as a clinical and educational tool to evaluate skeletal muscle activity, enhancing the understanding of muscle physiology. This activity aims to describe several sessions where EMG is used as a tool to teach muscle physiology. EMG demonstrates muscle activation and MU recruitment, bridging theory and practice in physiology education. Surface EMG measures electrical activity in muscles, providing real-time data during rest, contraction, and fatigue. At rest, muscles exhibit minimal electrical activity. During contraction, increasing MU recruitment raises the amplitude and frequency of EMG signals. Fatigue is shown by altered patterns, reflecting declining muscle force and changes in MU activation. These principles highlight Henneman's size principle, where smaller motor units are activated first, followed by larger, stronger ones as contraction strength increases. Clinically, EMG distinguishes between neuropathies and myopathies. Neuropathies show delayed or reduced MU activation, spontaneous discharges, and impaired nerve-muscle communication. Myopathies display low-amplitude signals and rapid MU recruitment due to intrinsic muscle weakness. EMG also tracks denervation and reinnervation, revealing fibrillations or polyphasic MU potentials during nerve recovery. Integrating EMG with nerve conduction studies enhances diagnostics, clarifying whether issues stem from nerve or muscle pathology.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Electromyography (EMG) is a powerful tool to visualize muscle coordination, synergy, and fatigue, making it invaluable for teaching neuromuscular physiology and diagnosing neuromuscular conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or muscular dystrophy. EMG effectively connects physiology concepts to clinical applications, helping students comprehend the intricate mechanisms that are subjacent to muscle physiology.

Undergraduate students in physiology and other life science programs commonly intend to pursue careers in research or health care professions. Often, however, they are poorly prepared for research and are discouraged when they are not accepted into professional programs. To address this, we created Research Readiness and Advancing Biomedical Discoveries, a third-year course for life science students. The course includes a scaffolded research proposal assignment along with online preclass modules and extensive in-class group work on topics such as career planning, project management, and commercialization. To assess the course, we surveyed students both during and 1-3 yr after course completion. Students agreed or strongly agreed that the course prepared them for research opportunities (4.17 ± 0.07, mean ± SE, 5 = strongly agree) and prompted them to consider flexible career paths (4.26 ± 0.06). Of the 63 former students (alumni) who completed the survey (a 29% response rate) almost two-thirds were pursuing advanced degrees, with most of the others in science-related positions. Alumni indicated that the course improved their skill set to achieve future goals (4.14 ± 0.10), consider flexible career paths (4.16 ± 0.10), and prepare for research opportunities (4.00 ± 0.12). The most common themes to the question "What aspects of the course helped with your current career pursuits?" were working in teams (68%) and developing and writing an original research proposal (68%). Our findings will encourage others to contemplate a similar course or activities/assignments and illustrate the value of surveying former students.NEW & NOTEWORTHY To better prepare students for research and a range of science careers, we designed and delivered a course to develop teamwork, communication, creative, critical thinking, and career planning skills and an understanding of how research is conducted and translated. Student feedback obtained during the course and from alumni who had completed the course 1-3 yr before demonstrates the value of course content, assignments, and group work in fostering learning and shaping career trajectories.

The respiratory system encompasses a complex network of neural mechanisms that regulate not only ventilation and gas exchange but also vital protective reflexes such as coughing, sneezing, and swallowing. These reflexes are clinically relevant and functionally critical for maintaining airway integrity, especially in medical and surgical contexts. Moreover, they offer rich interdisciplinary potential by linking concepts from respiratory physiology, neurophysiology, and motor control. This study aimed to develop supplementary instructional materials using cordel literature, a traditional Brazilian poetic genre, and comic books to facilitate the teaching of airway reflexes in higher education. An extensive literature review was conducted focusing on six key reflexes: cough, expiration, sneeze, swallowing, laryngeal adduction, and the laryngeal chemoreflex. Based on this review, instructional resources were created combining scientific accuracy with accessible and culturally meaningful formats. The cordel texts used rhythmic and metaphorical language to support memorization and learner engagement, whereas the comics employed symbolic and anthropomorphized characters to visually represent neurophysiological processes. Although these materials have not yet been implemented in classroom settings, they present a creative and low-cost strategy to enrich physiology education and support more inclusive and contextualized learning.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This report describes the creation of instructional materials, cordel literature, and comic strips, focused on airway reflexes, a topic of high clinical and physiological relevance. The materials address six key airway reflexes through poetic and visual narratives. Although not yet applied in classroom settings, they were designed to promote scientific understanding, accessibility, and cultural resonance, offering a supplementary tool for engaging students with complex physiological content.

Recent reports describe a cultural shift in the average American's perception of the value of higher education. Additionally, and possibly as a consequence of this shifting perception, college enrollments have decreased in recent years. One major element identified in students' perception of college education is whether or not they receive career preparation. In facilitating career preparedness, many instructors have turned to experiential learning opportunities in the form of internships, laboratory-based courses, and simulations. In this article, we describe an experiential learning course for undergraduate and graduate human physiology students in clinical cardiology skills, including electrocardiography, auscultation, manual blood pressure measurement, and cardiac ultrasonography. Student and instructor perspectives were solicited, and four student and one faculty perspectives are included from the author team as qualitative evidence of the efficacy of the described course in preparing students for a variety of jobs with tangible clinical measurement skills. We describe here our perspective that this course enhanced critical thinking, subjective knowledge in cardiology, and application of cardiac principles to measurement techniques and fostered confidence in translating classroom knowledge to the workforce.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article is a novel, highly descriptive interrogation of students' subjective perceptions of the value of clinically relevant experiences learning cardiovascular measurement techniques as a way to foster career preparedness. We demonstrate that experiential learning courses foster not only skill building but self-confidence in physiology students.

The Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) program at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine strengthens students' academic readiness for dental school. As part of the curriculum, OHS students enroll in the first-year Dental (D1) Physiology course alongside dental students at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. To support their success, we introduced a complementary Applied Physiology course that emphasizes team-based learning. This course reinforces key physiological concepts and provides additional academic support to encourage critical thinking and teamwork. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Applied Physiology course in improving OHS students' test performance in Dental Physiology and enhancing their appreciation for the relevance of physiology in dental practice. Results demonstrate that OHS students enrolled in Applied Physiology scored significantly higher on Dental Physiology exams compared to those who took Dental Physiology before the complementary course was implemented. In contrast, dental student scores remained stable over the same period. Survey data, including Likert-scale and open-ended responses, indicated that students' understanding of the importance of physiology in dentistry increased after they completed the course. Based on student feedback, the course was refined in its second year to include more in-class practice questions and to rotate team members, further enhancing collaborative learning. Finally, we utilized a Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) and found that student motivation for participation in the course was largely extrinsic in nature. These findings suggest that structured, team-based academic support can improve both performance and professional insight for students preparing for dental school.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Boston University's MS in Oral Health Sciences program introduced an Applied Physiology course to complement students taking Dental Physiology as part of their graduate curriculum. This team-based, case-driven course improved academic performance on exams and increased students' appreciation for physiology's relevance in the practice of dentistry. Students who took the course scored higher than previous cohorts, whereas dental student performance (measured as exam scores) remained stable. Survey feedback led to course enhancements, including more practice questions and team rotations. The study highlights the value of structured academic support to enhance learning and critical thinking for predental students.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of large language models (LLMs), specifically Claude Sonnet 4.0 and ChatGPT 4.1, for analyzing formative feedback to support student-centered learning (SCL). In large courses, instructors often struggle to promptly review and synthesize student input. We used a low-stakes task: analyzing 63 anonymous student responses to a Muddiest Point prompt in a human physiology class after a lecture on respiratory physiology. Across 20 runs, both LLMs consistently identified "Ventilation and Lung Mechanics" as the most frequent area of confusion, aligning with human analysis. LLMs completed the task significantly faster than a human reviewer (average: 19.6 s/31.0 s vs. 32 min), with thematic reliability. This suggests LLMs can efficiently generate information from student input, enabling instructors to adapt their instruction in real time. The approach supports SCL and educational equity through the inclusion of all student voices. While promising for formative feedback, observed variability indicates that further refinement is needed before LLMs are utilized for high-stakes summative assessment.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate the effectiveness of large language models in a low-stakes learning activity, providing the instructor with feedback on student learning based on theme analysis of free responses to a Muddiest Point prompt, thereby facilitating student-centered learning.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Community-engaged learning, in which students work collaboratively with community partners on mutually-beneficial projects, fosters student civic engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking. This article uses a students-as-partners approach to describe the implementation of CEL in an undergraduate medical sciences course from both the instructor and student perspective. We share reflections and insights as to how a flipped course design and assessments synergize to foster deep and reflective learning.