Advances in Physiology Education最新文献

{"title":"Reducing, and ultimately replacing, the involvement of animals in education: legislative, ethical, and societal drivers for change.","authors":"David I Lewis","doi":"10.1152/advan.00220.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00220.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Learners are increasingly objecting to participating in educational activities that involve animals. There is a substantial drive from regulators and funders globally to replace the involvement of animals in research. There is no going back. Educators, educational leaderships, physiological societies, and others need to embrace change, working collaboratively to reimagine nonanimal technologies and new approach methodologies used in research to create educationally robust, humane alternatives to the current educational activities that involve animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"374-378"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leveraging active learning through student-generated questions and electronic posters in a physiology course.","authors":"Mohammed Karami, Khulood Hussein","doi":"10.1152/advan.00009.2026","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00009.2026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Active learning fosters problem-solving, critical thinking, and practical application of theory. In pharmacy education, strategies such as student-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and electronic posters (e-posters) can supplement traditional lectures to enhance learning. This cross-sectional study evaluated first-year pharmacy students' perceptions of this approach and the effectiveness of integrating MCQ generation (including scenario-based questions) and e-poster preparation into a two-semester physiology course, using a validated questionnaire. The survey evaluated engagement, satisfaction, information recall, conceptual comprehension, and application skills through Likert-scale and open-ended items. Academic performance was compared within the same cohort across semesters and with students from the previous academic year, who had not participated in these strategies. More than 70% of students agreed that both activities improved comprehension, factual recall, and clinical reasoning and the collaborative e-poster activity supported communication and creativity in applying physiological concepts. Intracohort analysis indicated that MCQ generation alone boosted summative assessment performance more, whereas the addition of e-posters in the second semester enhanced qualitative learning outcomes and skill development, despite the slightly heavier workload. Performance analysis showed that students exposed to these active learning strategies achieved higher mean scores than the previous cohort taught with traditional methods, and intracohort comparisons showed consistent performance across semesters despite the greater workload in the second term. Overall, incorporating student-generated MCQs and e-posters fostered stronger understanding, engagement, and skill development in first-year pharmacy students, enhancing the learning experience and supporting meaningful learning and higher-order thinking in foundational science education.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This study evaluated the impact of integrating student-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and electronic posters into a first-year pharmacy physiology course. With a validated survey and performance comparisons, results showed improved engagement, comprehension, clinical reasoning, and academic performance compared with a previous cohort taught traditionally. Over 70% of students reported enhanced learning, and outcomes remained consistent across semesters despite increased workload, supporting the value of combined active learning strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"454-461"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147576162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health in translation: a workshop model for health literacy and lay science communication.","authors":"Samantha A Musso, Steven J Elmer, Erica A Wehrwein","doi":"10.1152/advan.00324.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00324.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Health literacy is essential for informed decision-making, patient safety, and public trust in science. This, in part, relies on the ability of health professionals to communicate complex scientific information in language accessible to the general public, yet undergraduate health science programs often lack formal training in lay communication. We describe a 60-min interactive virtual workshop designed to introduce undergraduate students to health literacy and audience-centered science communication. The workshop combined brief instruction with hands-on use of an online readability tool (Sydney Health Literacy Lab, SHeLL), facilitated small-group activities, and peer feedback. Students worked collaboratively to translate a recent scientific abstract into language appropriate for 12th- and 8th-grade reading levels, practicing strategies to reduce jargon and simplify complex information. The workshop successfully engaged students and facilitated awareness of the challenges and importance of communicating health information clearly to nonexpert audiences. This adaptable workshop model provides a practical approach for integrating health literacy and science communication training into undergraduate education and workforce preparation.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Health literacy depends on scientists' and health care professionals' ability to translate complex information into language people understand and trust. This article describes an interactive virtual workshop that equips undergraduates with tools to communicate health and science to diverse audiences. Using brief instruction and hands-on practice rewriting research abstracts, students build lay communication skills and explore links to equity, patient outcomes, and public trust.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"365-369"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12997106/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146202858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An exam is a moral document.","authors":"Gregory J Crowther","doi":"10.1152/advan.00041.2026","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00041.2026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> It is sometimes said that \"a budget is a moral document.\" In other words, despite common perceptions of a budget as a dry set of numerical tabulations, the corresponding decisions as to how money is collected and spent express the moral values of the budget writers. In this essay, I use my personal experiences as a classroom teacher and science education researcher to argue that an exam should be considered a moral document too. My argument rests on three propositions: first, that assessing students is a core responsibility of teaching; second, that our exams reflect our values; and third, that our values deserve explicit articulation and robust discussion.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"555-558"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147576086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging neuroanatomy and clinical reasoning: a collaborative cranial nerve matching activity.","authors":"Amy Morrison Gyorkos","doi":"10.1152/advan.00282.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00282.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anatomical education presents ongoing challenges in helping students master complex content while integrating it with clinical relevance. Neuroanatomy is particularly difficult due to its intricacy and abstract nature. To address these challenges, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a team-based matching activity designed to integrate anatomical, radiological, and clinical elements of the 12 cranial nerves during the final week of a 6-wk Nervous System course. First-year medical students' performance on summative practical questions and their perceptions of the session were assessed. Students in the intervention cohort (Class of 2028) who participated in the session demonstrated significantly higher mean scores on six identical cranial nerve-related practical questions (0.93 ± 0.01) compared with a control cohort (Class of 2025) that did not participate (0.88 ± 0.02; <i>P</i> = 0.0013). Survey responses from the intervention cohorts reflected high engagement, clarity, alignment with objectives, and perceived integration of anatomical and clinical knowledge. The data suggest that a structured, team-based matching activity is a feasible and effective innovation for supporting neuroanatomy-clinical integration in early medical education.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This activity bridges neuroanatomy and clinical reasoning through a collaborative matching exercise linking cranial nerve function to patient presentations. Designed for preclerkship students, it reinforces spatial understanding and diagnostic reasoning while encouraging peer discussion and reflection. The approach provides a low-resource, adaptable framework to integrate basic and clinical sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"595-600"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147647473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reasoning over recall: a six-step tutorial for muscle actions and innervations in functional anatomy.","authors":"Amy Morrison Gyorkos","doi":"10.1152/advan.00235.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00235.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Learning functional anatomy requires integration of structural detail and physiological principles to explain how muscles generate movement. Students often struggle with heavy reliance on memorization, particularly when learning muscle actions and innervations, which can overload working memory and limit opportunities for reasoning through novel problems. This tutorial was designed to scaffold schema building in ways that reduce cognitive burden and strengthen reasoning. The design minimized unnecessary demands, encouraged students to actively organize and connect new knowledge with prior understanding, and guided learners through progressively deeper levels of engagement, from foundational exposure to active manipulation of resources, to constructive schema generation, and ultimately to interactive dialogue where knowledge could be co-constructed. To describe and evaluate a six-step tutorial in functional anatomy designed to reduce reliance on recall and promote schema-based reasoning. We implemented a 45- to 50-minute tutorial for first-year medical students. Each step began with a brief orientation, followed by paper-based manipulation of muscles, compartments, and nerves, generation of layered schemas and reasoning statements linking form to function, and group discussion with facilitator-led debriefs. The tutorial was delivered to 84 students and evaluated through an anonymous survey (<i>n</i> = 76). Students strongly agreed that the framework simplified complex content, improved confidence, and enhanced engagement. Open-ended responses emphasized the value of reasoning rules and peer collaboration. This innovation demonstrates a practical way to move students from memorization toward reasoning in muscle actions and innervations, providing a structured approach perceived as clear, efficient, and confidence building for learning functional anatomy.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Students often struggle with memorizing muscle actions and innervations, which can overload working memory and hinder reasoning. This six-step tutorial, grounded in Cognitive Load Theory, Generative Learning Theory, and the Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive (ICAP) framework, provided a structured pathway from recall toward reasoning. Through brief orientations, card-based exercises, schema generation, and collaborative discussion, students reported greater clarity, efficiency, and confidence, with Constructive and Interactive phases highlighted as most valuable for understanding muscle function.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"607-612"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147647403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of artificial intelligence as a self-directed learning tool in an undergraduate physiology course.","authors":"P Nuñez, J Argüelles, C Perillan","doi":"10.1152/advan.00174.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00174.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, as a self-directed learning tool in an undergraduate physiology-related course within a Speech Therapy program. The aim was to introduce first-year Speech Therapy students (<i>n</i> = 30) to AI technologies, assess their prior knowledge and perceptions, and foster critical thinking regarding AI-generated content, with a focus on evaluating AI literacy both generally and within the context of physiology education. A preliminary survey revealed that 73.3% of students (22 out of 30) had previously used AI, while 93% expressed interest in learning about its academic applications. Students participated in a structured 2-h classroom session to understand how generative AI works, followed by a group task comparing traditional and AI-generated responses to academic questions. Notably, students engaged in a comparative analysis of their own completed work with the AI-generated version. A postintervention survey indicated that 82% of students learned new aspects of AI use, 86% found the experience helpful, and 95.5% emphasized the importance of verifying AI output with other sources. These findings reflect students' views on both general AI use and physiology-related academic tasks, suggesting that, with proper guidance, undergraduates can critically engage with AI tools and recognize their strengths and limitations. The intervention promoted self-regulated learning, digital literacy, and ethical awareness in the use of AI, laying the groundwork for broader implementation in physiology and biomedical education. Furthermore, the findings suggest that additional faculty training and institutional support could facilitate meaningful integration of AI into higher education programs.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This study is among the first to integrate ChatGPT as a self-directed learning tool in undergraduate physiology education within Speech Therapy. It demonstrates that first-year students, with minimal prior academic artificial intelligence (AI) experience, can critically engage with AI-generated content, enhancing digital literacy and ethical awareness. The research highlights the importance of guided interventions to promote critical thinking and the need for institutional support to effectively incorporate AI in health sciences curricula.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"413-421"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147444678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of learning assistants to facilitate student engagement and learning: a classroom pedagogical study.","authors":"Rachel Susanne Jolly Maggard, Judith L Jenkins, Lindsay E Cormier","doi":"10.1152/advan.00181.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00181.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enhancing student retention and conceptual mastery within the undergraduate anatomy and physiology (A/P) curriculum serves as a foundational strategy for advancing student readiness in preprofessional pathways. Discipline-specific teaching strategies should be evaluated for how well they support student success in introductory gateway courses such as the A/P series. Our study extends the learning assistant model, where undergraduate students support learning in the classroom by involvement in active, peer-led teaching, to examine its impact on course grades and content learning. <i>Cohort 2</i> (Spring) students showed significantly higher academic performance than <i>cohort 1</i> (Fall), with increased laboratory exam scores and overall course grades (86% vs. 77%, <i>P</i> < 0.0001). To investigate factors contributing to this improvement, we conducted a student survey of both groups. <i>Cohort 1</i> experienced the original learning assistant model, whereas <i>cohort 2</i> participated in an expanded model in which learning assistants led weekly review activities during the laboratory sessions. Students in <i>cohort 2</i> reported greater improvement in their understanding of course content (82% vs. 71%, <i>P</i> < 0.05), and across both cohorts students viewed learning assistants as a valuable component of the course. The active engagement of students in review activities facilitated by learning assistants during the laboratory setting was found to be an efficient pedagogical approach to enhancing student learning in anatomy and physiology. This is a potential methodology that can enhance the educational experience and retention of students seeking prehealth majors and professional careers.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> The undergraduate anatomy and physiology (A/P) course series can be a barrier to students preparing to enter into preprofessional programs. Our present study expands the learning assistant model that uses undergraduate students in a supportive classroom setting to include engaging in active teaching through peer-led activities. This new active approach led to an increase in exam grades and overall course grades, along with student content understanding.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"422-432"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147437416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using a physiology virtual laboratory to explore vascular reactivity: feedback from undergraduate biology students in France.","authors":"Christophe O Soulage, Samuel Legeay, Tristan Chevrier, Delphine Baetz","doi":"10.1152/advan.00276.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00276.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The evolution of European and French regulations regarding animal experimentation in higher education has prompted universities to develop alternative methods to animal testing. The University of Angers (France) has created a web-based virtual lab (VL) called <i>ExAVir</i> (https://labua.univ-angers.fr/Projets/exavir/) designed to simulate practical lab work in animal physiology and pharmacology. In this study, we evaluated the perception of <i>ExAVir</i> among third-year undergraduate physiology students at the University of Lyon, France, as a tool for studying vascular physiology. Students completed the VL activity independently and were then asked to fill out a postcourse survey. Of the 268 students enrolled in the course, 197 completed the questionnaire (73.5%). Most students appreciated the VL (65%) and valued the fact that it avoided the use of laboratory animals (90%). A majority (69%) believed that the VL could effectively replace one session of lab work, although 88% stated that it should not replace all hands-on lab activities, as it does not engage the same practical skills. Nevertheless, 71% of students reported a significant improvement in their perceived level of vascular physiology through the use of the VL. We believe that the targeted use of VLs such as <i>ExAVir</i> can be a powerful educational tool, particularly when integrated with traditional wet lab practicals.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Facing evolving European regulations on animal experimentation, universities are turning to innovative teaching tools. Our study explores <i>ExAVir</i>, a virtual lab developed by the University of Angers, used by physiology students at the University of Lyon to learn vascular physiology without animal testing. Most students found the virtual lab engaging, effective, and ethically valuable, highlighting its potential to complement, but not replace, traditional hands-on lab work.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"613-625"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiology of nutrient intake and absorption during pregnancy.","authors":"Kathryn L Gatford, Amanda J Page","doi":"10.1152/advan.00251.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00251.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pregnancy requires substantial maternal adaptations and increased function of maternal systems including cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems to provide nutrients and remove wastes from the conceptus. How the increased nutrient requirements for conceptus growth and increased maternal metabolic rate are met is less well understood than adaptations in some other systems, however. This Staying Current review will therefore provide an overview of nutrient requirements, adaptations in food intake, and adaptations in nutrient absorption during pregnancy, to support teaching of these concepts to undergraduate and postgraduate biology, physiology, and health science students.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This Staying Current review summarizes current understanding of nutrient requirements, adaptations in food intake, and adaptations in nutrient absorption during pregnancy during human and nonhuman mammalian pregnancy. Most information about mechanisms underlying increased food intake and nutrient absorption has been obtained in rodents. High quality studies of the mechanisms determining satiety and nutrient absorption throughout pregnancy are needed across mammalian species including humans to address gaps in current knowledge.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"405-412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147379573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}