Teaching high school students about the digestive system can be a challenge for a teacher when s/he wants to overcome rote learning of facts without a deeper understanding of the physiological processes inside the alimentary tract. A series of model experiments illustrating the journey of a sandwich was introduced into teaching high school…

This article provides instructors with guidelines for teaching simple experimental design for the comparison of two treatment groups. Two designs with specific examples are discussed along with common misconceptions that undergraduate students typically bring to the experiment design process. Features of experiment design that maximize power and…

This investigative laboratory exercise uses the different relations between ambient temperature and metabolic rate in endotherms and ectotherms as a core concept to answer the following question: What thermoregulatory mode is employed by chicken embryos? Emphasis is placed on the physiological concepts that can be taught with this exercise,…

A case study about carbon monoxide poisoning was used help students gain a greater understanding of the physiology of oxygen transport by the blood. A review of student answers to the case questions showed that students can use the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to make meaningful determinations of oxygen uptake and delivery. However, the…

Describes a virtual experiment designed to introduce students to the theory and application of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and the mean electrical axis (MEA). Students are asked to reduce and analyze data, calculate and plot the MEA, and answer questions in the inquiry-based, experimental activity. (Author/WRM)

Describes a laboratory experience for upper-level science students that provides a hands-on approach to understanding the basics of experimental physiology. Students design an experiment to determine the relative importance of dilution of plasma proteins in the overall renal excretory response following volume expansion with intravenous saline.…

Describes a problem-based course in which students in an interdisciplinary program explored the manufacture of biological knowledge. Discusses how students gained an appreciation of the complex interactions between ideals, individuals, institutions, and investments that comprise modern biological research through study of a variety of problems and…

Presents a checklist designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows critically analyze original research papers. (Author/WRM)

Introduces an educational game in pulmonary physiology developed for first-year medical students based loosely on the popular television game show, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. Aims to provide students with an educational tool by which to review material previously presented in the class. (Author/YDS)

Applies Benson's think-pair-share and Mazur's peer instruction techniques to enhance student involvement during the respiratory component of the medical physiology class. Investigates changes in students' level of understanding and ability to synthesize and integrate material. Includes 15 references. (Author/YDS)

Presents a laboratory exercise designed to introduce students to the hemodynamic variables (heart rate, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance, and compliance) that alter arterial pressure. (Author/CCM)

Describes four innovative, creative, and fun educational tools to promote active learning, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage small group discussion about gastrointestinal physiology: crossword puzzles, hidden messages, word scrambles, and word searches. (Author/WRM)

Describes a "dry laboratory" using data from virtual rats to help students understand the hormonal regulation of gastrointestinal function. (Author/WRM)

Presents an exercise in which students are assigned a current study then write three two-page critiques of the article. Peer review using double blind, single blind, or open review systems is employed followed by class discussion. (DDR)

Argues that there is a whole class of physiological topics that are best taught using dynamic diagrams, a series of diagrams generated through simple animations and based on user-provided inputs. Uses the theory of neural generation as an example. (DDR)