Core Concepts in Physiology: Teaching Homeostasis through Pattern Recognition

Autor/inn/en	Chirillo, Michael; Silverthorn, Dee U.; Vujovic, Predrag
Titel	Core Concepts in Physiology: Teaching Homeostasis through Pattern Recognition
Quelle	In: Advances in Physiology Education, 45 (2021) 4, S.812-828 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Chirillo, Michael) ORCID (Silverthorn, Dee U.) ORCID (Vujovic, Predrag)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1043-4046
Schlagwörter	Physiology; Science Instruction; Teaching Methods; Biomedicine; Undergraduate Students; Biology; Introductory Courses; Foreign Countries; Knowledge Level; Scientific Concepts; Pattern Recognition; Anatomy; Pretests Posttests; Grades (Scholastic); Comparative Analysis; Concept Formation; Serbia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Physiologie; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Biomedizin; Biologie; Einführungskurs; Ausland; Wissensbasis; Mustererkennung; Anatomie; Notenspiegel; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Serbien
Abstract	Homeostasis is a core concept in systems physiology that future clinicians and biomedical professionals will apply in their careers. Despite this, many students struggle to transfer the principles governing homeostasis to concrete examples. Precourse assessments conducted on 72 undergraduate biology students enrolled in an introductory systems physiology course at the University of Belgrade during the February-May semester of 2021 revealed that students had a vague, fragmentary understanding of homeostasis and its related concepts that was often conflated with topics touched on during their previous coursework. We formalized and implemented an approach to teaching homeostasis that focused heavily on consistent reinforcement of physiological reflex patterns throughout the course. To that end, we employed a variety of activities aimed at getting students to view organ system integration holistically. After the semester, postcourse assessment demonstrated that students were better able to provide concrete examples of organ system contributions to homeostasis and were more adept at applying basic principles to novel physiological scenarios. Comparison of final grades with previous semesters revealed that students outperformed their peers who had taken the course previously. In this article, we summarize the findings of pre- and postcourse assessments, describe the general approach we took to teaching homeostasis as well as the specific techniques used in the classroom, and compare student performance with previous semesters. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Physiological Society. 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991. Tel: 301-634-7164; Fax: 301-634-7241; e-mail: webmaster@the-aps.org; Web site: https://www.physiology.org/journal/advances
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01