There have been significant increases in the number of students studying physiology in the Bachelor of Science degree-program at our university. We thought that physiology prerequisites for graduate programs in medicine and allied-health areas were facilitating these increased numbers. Undergraduate physiology students were surveyed about their…

Student response systems (SRSs) are widely used in anatomy and physiology courses as a form of active learning. While traditional SRSs (clickers) are pervasive, gamified SRSs such as Kahoot! are becoming increasingly popular. However, the impact of using both types of systems in the same course is unknown. The goal of this study was to determine…

Health sciences students need strong communication skills so that they can engage patients, explain concepts and justify medical procedures. For 3% of their final mark, 547 students studying the anatomy and physiology of the immune system were assigned the creation of a one-page brochure to help parents understand the importance and mechanism of…

This study examines gross anatomy students' perception of lecture and the value of lecture based on student performance. Following a single lecture, students (n=85) completed a questionnaire asking about their perceptions of lecture using a 1(low) -- 10(high) rating scale and a five question, multiple-choice quiz. Students later answered these…

Board games continue to increase in popularity and the pedagogical value of games has been repeatedly supported. Games keep students engaged and the level of engagement translates directly into time spent playing, and correspondingly, time spent reviewing course material. Therefore, game play is expected to result in greater student success.…

There is much in the literature about the perks and pitfalls of introducing lecture capture technology (LCT) into the classroom, with recommendations and guidelines as well as mixed reports outlining the ensuing expected and unexpected, in terms of positive and negative outcomes. With the goal of providing another student study resource, LCT was…

Students of physiology are taught that the body's homeostatic mechanisms are in place to maintain the body's internal environment. This is most often associated with maintaining health. Congestive Heart Failure represents a disease in which the body's homeostatic mechanisms worsen the progression of the disease. Using the analogy of Santa Claus…

Students find it hard to understand acid-base homeostasis and the mechanisms involved in compensating for acid-base imbalances, including the role of the lungs and kidneys in this process. We have developed a laboratory activity based on collaborative problem-based learning and human patient simulators (HPSs) to teach this topic. Students (n=50)…

This study examined students' voluntary use of digital self-assessment quizzes as a resource for learning in a large anatomy and physiology lecture course. Students (n = 238) could use 16 chapter quizzes and four analogous unit quizzes to rehearse and self-assess knowledge. Most students (75%) engaged in occasional use of self-assessment quiz…

Prior investigations of the academic performance of student athletes have yielded mixed results: while the NCAA's large scale surveys point to classroom success, other researchers have documented academic underperformance by student athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the grades and the time budgets of student athletes at a NCAA…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming many fields, including education. Can modern AI replace teachers? We discuss some popular AI applications for adaptive learning, how they are related to personalized education, what makes these applications "intelligent," and how the quality and quantity of student-generated data changes the…

To improve the student learning outcomes of an introductory Human Anatomy and Physiology course we have implemented many changes over the last two years. In this study, the third of a three-part series, we present data from surveys collected and analyzed during the spring semester of 2018 at the University of Northern Colorado. The results reveal…

The growing movement in STEM education is popularizing active learning, which has benefits for high school and undergraduate students, especially those in rural areas with limited resources. In Mississippi, daunting health disparities in incidence of stroke, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and obesity warrant the implementation of…

Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Canberra, Australia, as in many institutions, is taught to large cohorts at the foundational level. There is a requirement for students to not only retain information regarding physiological systems and their associated anatomy, but also the integration and relationship between systems. Furthermore,…

The influence of class size and course length on student academic achievement has been evaluated. However, most of the studies have been done at the primary education level and their influence on study strategies has not previously been assessed. The data for this study were collected via surveys at the beginning and end of a first year medical…