Advances in Physiology Education最新文献

Science communication is a core skill for undergraduate science students to acquire in preparation for their future careers, but studies show that this skill is underdeveloped in science graduates. The aim of this study was to discover the resources and approaches undergraduate students use to effectively develop their science communication skills and how the use of these methods relates to academic performance on a communication task. Undergraduate students undertaking a second-year biomedical science course (n = 490) were asked which approaches and resources they used to aid the development of their science communication skills, and the frequency of their responses was correlated against their laboratory report mark, using multiple regression and relative weights analysis. Students' (n = 453) use of Communication Learning in Practice for Scientists (CLIPS; an open-access interactive website on science communication), resources provided by the university, interactions with university teaching staff, and engagement with the scientific literature significantly predicted the laboratory report mark. Students enrolled in a blended format or in remote online learning only, and in different programs, performed comparably in the written report and used similar approaches and resources, other than remote students reporting more use of other online resources and students in blended learning engaging more with university resources. Together, these findings provide insight into which strategies are most helpful for undergraduate students to engage with to improve their scientific communication skills. The findings highlight that the provision of well-designed interactive communication resources, guided assessment resources, and opportunities to engage with teaching staff can assist in the development of science communication skills.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study identifies the approaches and resources that undergraduate science students use to develop their science communication skills. It reveals which of these approaches and resources predict improved academic performance in a written science communication assessment task. The findings point to the importance of explicit guidance, and engagement with teaching staff, in advancing the development of science communication skills.

Teaching physiology can be challenging as students are initially required to understand basic and abstract concepts. Thus students typically view physiology as a "difficult" subject and place an emphasis on rote learning and memorization. Here, we attempted to address this knowledge gap by introducing a pedagogical intervention into the neurophysiology lesson plan of first-year medical and health physiology students at the University of La Réunion. This intervention aimed to better link abstract concepts (e.g., saltatory conduction) and a pathological disorder (multiple sclerosis), together with a discussion of a specific therapeutic intervention (fampridine). Students were required to complete readings (focused on neurophysiology aspects) and two online quizzes before two scheduled in-person lectures. They could also pose questions on a dedicated online forum. Thereafter, the in-person lectures discussed questions posted on the online forum, provided feedback on poorly answered questions (from the online quizzes), and dealt with questions posed by students attending classes. Student feedback regarding the pedagogic intervention was assessed by an anonymous online survey. This survey revealed that the pedagogical intervention was positively received. For example, 94% of respondents agreed the course was well developed, while 80% indicated that the pedagogical intervention was beneficial in terms of their understanding of basic and abstract neurophysiology concepts. Together, this pedagogical intervention was enthusiastically received by the students who better understood how basic nerve physiology concepts fit into the broader context and that such an understanding can result in the development and the roll-out of unique therapeutic interventions for multiple sclerosis.NEW & NOTEWORTHY First-year physiology students can find the subject challenging, struggling to understand abstract concepts without any context. To address this, we introduced a pedagogical intervention for first-year medical and health physiology students that aimed to link abstract concepts and a pathological disorder, together with a discussion of a specific therapeutic intervention. This pedagogical intervention was well received by first-year physiology students who better understood how basic nerve physiology concepts can be applied within the clinical setting.

Views of obesity as a consequence of "lack of willpower" or other behavioral choices, rather than a complex array of biological and other factors, are quite common among undergraduate students. Many undergraduates in prenursing or biology programs have little exposure to the physiology and pathophysiology of obesity, including learning about leptin and other hormones involved in appetite control. I developed materials for teaching about the pathophysiology of obesity in two different pathophysiology courses: one designed as a survey of pathophysiology topics for prenursing majors, and the other designed as an in-depth exploration of the molecular and cellular basis of selected diseases for upper-division biology majors. In the molecular basis of disease course, obesity is covered as part of a unit organized around metabolic syndrome. The discussion includes molecular and cellular mechanisms that link obesity to several other diseases, including type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. This article briefly describes the approaches I have taken for teaching obesity to two different undergraduate student populations and lists several resources that may be useful tools for teaching about obesity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article describes approaches for teaching obesity in an allied health major pathophysiology course, and, additionally, in an upper-division biology major course on the cellular and molecular basis of disease.

The ability to effectively host a guest speaker is an important but underemphasized aspect of career development in the physiological and broader biomedical sciences. Currently, there is scant information available to guide early-career scientists through this multifaceted, subtlety-filled process. In this Personal View on Training and Mentoring, I first describe the importance and benefits of hosting visiting speakers. I then discuss the many considerations involved in selecting an appropriate speaker and how to formulate the invitation to present. The key activities involved in planning and preparing for a speaker's visit are described next, including information that must be obtained from the speaker, the logistics of travel and lodging, constructing an effective itinerary, food/meals, and how the presentation will be advertised. I then delve into the essential components of host responsibilities during the visit: best practices for introducing speakers, other hosting duties associated with the presentation, tips for enhancing trainee interactions with the speaker, and keys to properly completing the visit on the right note. I next discuss events occurring after the visit, including speaker expenses, reimbursements, and honoraria. Last, the distinct aspects of virtual visits (i.e., remote presentations and meetings) compared with in-person visits are noted. Overall, this viewpoint is intended to provide a comprehensive guide to successfully hosting a guest speaker that should help advance the professional development of students, postdoctoral fellows, and other early-stage investigators.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This Personal View on Training and Mentoring provides a comprehensive guide to successfully hosting a guest speaker that should help inform and advance the professional development of students, postdoctoral fellows, and other early-stage investigators.

Neuroeducation is characterized as a subarea of neuroscience that involves comprehending the teaching and learning processes and relating them to neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neuropsychology. The inclusion of some aspects of the neuroscience of learning in teachers' and students' formation, applying them in teaching-learning environments, contributes to the quality of education and impacts students' quality of life and health. Thus, the POPNEURO outreach program performs interventions with students and teachers of low-income schools to disseminate neuroscience concepts, relating them to the students' daily lives. This study reports the impact of these actions, assessed 1 yr after their conclusion. The results showed that the long-term impact of the activities carried out is, in general, positive. Even 1 yr after the activities end, students demonstrate knowledge about the neuroscience themes and satisfaction with participating.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article reports on neuroscience disclosure activities performed with school students and describes their short- and long-term positive impact. Even 1 yr after the activities, students demonstrate knowledge about the themes worked on and satisfaction with the activities.

Effective communication skills are pivotal in health care, particularly when conveying distressing information to patients and their families. However, medical education still lacks the adoption of a universal model that can be incorporated into the curricula to train and assess students in effectively communicating with patients. This study aims to assess the impact of training undergraduate medical students to deliver bad news effectively using the Empowering Medical students' skills in BReaking bAd news with Compassion and Empathy (EMBRACE) module. This randomized case-control study involved medical students from the first, second, and third professional years (study group, n = 75; control group, n = 75). For the study group, the EMBRACE modules were distributed. Then, a 1-hour training session on effectively delivering bad news was followed by a multiple-choice question test and objective structured clinical examination with response, interpretation, and communication skills stations. Participants' feedback was obtained on a five-point Likert scale. There was a highly significant improvement in knowledge and skills among the study group compared to controls with a P value less than 0.0001. Of the participants, 98.76% perceived that the training equipped them with practical skills, and 98.77% felt that the facilitator had demonstrated the steps of delivering bad news clearly and effectively. Only 4.44% of participants were confident in effectively interacting with patients before the session, and an overwhelming 81.11% gained confidence in their communication skills after the training. With demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge and skills, this study supports the adoption of EMBRACE modules in undergraduate medical education, ultimately improving patient experiences, doctor-patient relationships, and health outcomes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The Empowering Medical students' skills in BReaking bAd news with Compassion and Empathy (EMBRACE) module is noteworthy for its holistic approach to training medical students in the delicate art of delivering distressing news to patients. It not only incorporates the evidence-based setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, emotions, and strategy (SPIKES) method but also distinguishes itself by providing real-life conversation examples and self-assessment cases, which make the training highly relatable and practical for students to actively engage in their learning and personal development.

This article introduces an innovative teaching and learning tool called "Edelman Gamblegrams" that aims to help medical learners better understand disorders related to water/plasma tonicity homeostasis, i.e., hyponatremia and hypernatremia. Gamblegrams, named after physician James L. Gamble, are bar diagrams displaying the relative abundance of extracellular anions and cations and are commonly used in the analysis of acid-base disorders. The Edelman equation represents the physiological variables that determine plasma sodium concentration, namely, total body sodium mass, total body potassium mass, and total body water volume. Edelman Gamblegrams inspired by traditional Gamblegrams but using the components of the Edelman equation, visually demonstrate how sodium, potassium, and water contribute to plasma sodium concentration under normal and pathological conditions. Scenarios that lead to hypotonic hyponatremia and hypernatremia in Edelman Gamblegrams are also discussed. Furthermore, examples of how these visual aids can enhance understanding of the pathogenesis of dysnatremias are also presented. Overall, the use of Edelman Gamblegrams has the potential to improve comprehension and retention of concepts related to water/plasma tonicity homeostasis.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article introduces a new teaching tool called "Edelman Gamblegrams," modeled after the conventional Gamblegrams used in acid-base disorder analysis and using the independent physiological variables that determine the plasma sodium concentration (Edelman equation), that aims to help medical learners understand disorders related to water/plasma tonicity homeostasis.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered language models presents new opportunities and challenges in education. By teaching students how to craft prompts that elicit insightful responses, faculty can scaffold activities where AI acts as a supplemental resource to amplify critical thinking and support student learning. Ongoing dialogue and iteration focused on ethical usage norms can achieve the right balance between emerging technology and foundational skills development. With care and intention, AI-assisted study tactics offer students personalized support while adhering to academic standards. While AI-powered tools provide many positive opportunities, students and faculty need to learn about and use them responsibly and ethically, not as replacements for required thinking and effort. Before implementing these AI tools for studying biology, there are several key things to discuss with students. This article outlines several ways that students can employ these tools to support better learning along with a set of guidelines for all to be wary of when implementing these in an academic setting.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Utilizing of artificial intelligence tools offers a promising new technology to support student learning. This article outlines several ways that students can employ these tools to support better learning along with a set of guidelines for all to be wary of when implementing these in an academic setting.

Pharmacists are increasingly becoming the healthcare professional who interacts most regularly with patients who have diseases or disorders for which exercise is an effective and recommended treatment. With the relative scarcity of clinical exercise physiologists in the United States, pharmacists are expected to provide lifestyle advice to their patients, especially in community (i.e. retail) pharmacy settings, but student pharmacists typically receive no formal or informal training in exercise physiology and prescription. To address this deficit, an elective course was developed to provide student pharmacists with the knowledge and skill set that will enable them to apply evidence-based physical activity guidelines in the pharmacy. The course utilized the Exercise is Medicine resources for chronic diseases and disorders that are routinely encountered in community pharmacies, in addition to analysis of interactions between exercise and medications commonly prescribed for these conditions. After completion of the course, students reported being significantly more comfortable discussing physical activity with their patients compared to the start of the course (P < 0.001). Similarly, at the end of the course, 99% of students reported that they felt confident in their ability to apply evidence-based recommendations of common diseases and disorders to their patients. Postcourse student evaluations clearly demonstrated that student pharmacists viewed the course positively and as essential in their professional training. These data highlight the feasibility and efficacy of improving self-perceptions for the provision of physical activity recommendations via an elective course in physical activity prescription in a Doctor of Pharmacy program.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study describes a new elective course in physical activity prescription for Doctor of Pharmacy students. After completing the course, students reported improved self-perceptions for the provision of physical activity recommendations. This course fills a gap in pharmacy education and this study provides future directions to improve training in lifestyle modifications.

The pulmonary system is the first and last "line of defense" in terms of maintaining blood gas homeostasis during exercise. Our review provides the reader with an overview of how the pulmonary system responds to acute exercise. We undertook this endeavor to provide a companion article to "Cardiovascular Response to Exercise," which was published in Advances in Physiological Education. Together, these articles provide the readers with a solid foundation of the cardiopulmonary response to acute exercise in healthy individuals. The intended audience of this review is level undergraduate or graduate students and/or instructors for such classes. By intention, we intend this to be used as an educational resource and seek to provide illustrative examples to reinforce topics as well as highlight uncertainty to encourage the reader to think "beyond the textbook." Our treatment of the topic presents "classic" concepts along with new information on the pulmonary physiology of healthy aging.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our narrative review is written with the student of the pulmonary physiology of exercise in mind, be it a senior undergraduate or graduate student or those simply refreshing their knowledge. We also aim to provide examples where the reader can incorporate real scenarios.