The COVID-19 pandemic provoked a need for rapid adaptation of teaching strategies and learning environments. Thus novel approaches, predominantly based on online/virtual platforms are needed to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic on teaching (and learning). Herein we describe our recent web-based symposium series on environmental…

The value of active learning for increasing student comprehension and retention of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts within undergraduate courses has proven to be beneficial many times over; however, barriers still exist for both instructors and students. For example, instructors are often left to decide what type…

The ability to understand the relationship between the reversal potential and the membrane potential is a fundamental skill that must be mastered by students studying membrane excitability. To clarify this relationship, we have reframed a classic experiment carried out by Hodgkin and Katz, where we compare graphically the membrane potential at…

I describe a kinesthetic activity about oxygen handling by hemoglobin with two specific goals: (1) to help students gain a better understanding of how hemoglobin properties affect oxygen delivery and (2) to improve the ability of the students to actually read the hemoglobin oxygen-binding curve. The activity makes understanding oxygen delivery…

Electrocardiography (ECG) is one of the most widely used methods in clinical diagnosis. Here we describe an experimental approach that offers hands-on learning of its basic principles. An experimental model that consists of a rubber foil with a low electrical conductivity and a DC power unit is used to simulate the body and the electric dipole of…

This paper describes the design, construction, and use of an open-source hardware and software tool intended to help Anatomy and Physiology students test their knowledge of muscle actions and joint movements. Orientation sensors are attached to a model skeleton to turn the skeleton into an interactive, physical model for teaching limb movements. A…

As the Baby Boomer generation reaches old age, there has been a significant increase in the number of older adults needing healthcare over the past decade. The physiology of aging is therefore a highly relevant topic for the preclinical medical curriculum. I describe a new capstone unit on the physiology of aging, placed at the end a medical…

The College of Science and Health Professions offers a university preprofessional program. Like most medical schools in Saudi Arabia, the teaching delivery strategy in the university preprofessional program is on campus and face-to-face. During the month of March 2020, teaching activities of the spring semester were proceeding as normal; however,…

Preventing impairments in athletic performance is an important concept for students that are preparing for careers that involve working with athletes. Gaining hands on, laboratory-based experience in measuring exercise induced dehydration can help students understand how to help athletes prevent dehydration induced impairment in performance. This…

Understanding the gross organization of skeletal muscle is critical to understanding the mechanism of action of muscle physiology. Due to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), many colleges have had to discontinue or curtail teaching and laboratory activities. Whether students are in the classroom or learning online, it is important for them to…

The field of life sciences encompasses a myriad of disciplines that collectively provide insight toward the intrinsic framework of life. Developmental physiology is one of these disciplines that can describe the origins of life at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal level. However, organismal development is a continual process that…

Function diagrams put the focus on physiology and physiological concepts rather than the associated anatomy. Function diagrams could potentially serve as an elaboration tool and memory aid (mnemonic) to improve learning and recall. The function diagram prototype of the gastrointestinal system can aid in the instruction of difficult…

Increasing diversity, including diverse perspectives in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classrooms and teaching practices, is recognized as a current higher education priority. Resources to assist institutions and instructors are growing; however, many STEM instructors still hesitate to implement diverse teaching practices and…

Remote teaching can be both challenging and motivating. Professors and lecturers have developed innovative strategies to improve students' education and engage students in synchronous and asynchronous classes. In this Illuminations paper, we describe BodyWorks, online tools to support courses in physiology, motor control, and biomechanics. The…

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many institutions to consider remote, virtual instruction for the safety of employees and students. Based upon the authors' experiences in transforming preclerkship medical science courses to virtual platforms, this paper shares tips for faculty rapidly establishing remote medical science instruction. With planning…