Advances in Physiology Education最新文献

{"title":"Pharmacy student-led health outreach improves knowledge and behavior change motivation for prevention of type 2 diabetes among a college community.","authors":"Dylan Hagen, Farah Sayed, Lisa Cale, Daniela Alejandra Vega, Amie J Dirks-Naylor","doi":"10.1152/advan.00088.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00088.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Type 2 diabetes is a growing concern among young adults, including college students, due to rates of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and limited disease awareness. Despite the risk, few studies have examined the effectiveness of targeted educational interventions among this population. To determine whether a pharmacy student-led educational session improves knowledge, retention, and motivation for behavior change related to type 2 diabetes prevention among undergraduate students. A group of third-year pharmacy students conducted 30-minute interactive educational sessions on a college campus in North Carolina. The sessions covered risk factors, prevention strategies, and healthy behaviors using slides, interactive questions, and video clips. Participants completed a presurvey, immediate postsurvey, and a 2- to 3-month follow-up survey assessing knowledge and self-reported behaviors. A paired <i>t</i> test and ANOVA with post hoc analysis evaluated changes in knowledge over time. Sixty-four students completed both the pre- and postsurveys. Knowledge scores significantly improved from pre- to postsurvey (7.0 ± 1.6 to 9.7 ± 1.4; <i>P</i> < 0.001). Of the 17 students completing the follow-up survey, knowledge remained significantly higher than baseline (pre: 6.4 ± 1.27; post: 8.7 ± 1.31; follow-up: 9.9 ± 2.28; <i>P</i> < 0.001). Participants reported increased motivation to adopt healthier behaviors, such as physical activity, improved nutrition using the Plate Method, and adequate sleep. An interactive, pharmacy student-led educational session significantly improved college students' knowledge and motivation to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Tailored, engaging outreach may be an effective strategy to address early prevention in at-risk college populations.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> A pharmacy student-led educational initiative improved college students' knowledge and motivation related to type 2 diabetes prevention. Through interactive 30-minute sessions covering risk factors and healthy behaviors, participants showed marked gains in knowledge immediately and sustained at 2-3 months. Students also reported lifestyle changes, including improved diet, increased physical activity, and better sleep. This peer-delivered approach highlights the potential of tailored, engaging outreach to promote early prevention in at-risk young adult populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"729-737"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144259310","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":"Debunking learning styles: analyzing key predictors of academic success in dental education.","authors":"Komal Marwaha, Urvashi Sharma","doi":"10.1152/advan.00060.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00060.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To address the ambiguity regarding learning style preferences as predictors of academic success, this study examines the relationship between learning style preferences, gender, lecture attendance, and academic performance among undergraduate dental students. Learning style preferences using the Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire were assessed in 326 undergraduate dental students. Their gender, attendance, and academic scores were recorded to analyze correlations. The results showed that 58% of students preferred a multimodal learning style, with kinesthetic being the most common unimodal preference (23.6%). A significant correlation was found between lecture attendance and academic performance (<i>P</i> < 0.001), as 69.2% of students scoring below 50% were irregular attendees. However, some high-achieving (scores ≥70%) students were also irregular attendees, suggesting that self-directed study strategies may compensate for missed lectures. No significant association was observed between gender and lecture attendance or academic performance, reinforcing prior findings that multiple factors beyond gender influence academic success. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between assessed learning styles and academic performance, challenging the effectiveness of learning style-based instruction. A significant discrepancy between students assessed and perceived learning styles (<i>P</i> < 0.05) indicated that students may not accurately identify their learning preferences, relying instead on perceived preferences during independent study. Given these findings, adapting teaching strictly to assessed learning styles may be an inefficient use of resources. Instead, fostering active learning environments and emphasizing evidence-based study strategies may be more beneficial. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on learning styles and highlight the importance of research-driven educational practices in health professional education.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This study challenges the effectiveness of learning style-based instruction by demonstrating no significant correlation between assessed learning styles and academic performance among dental students. It highlights a discrepancy between students' assessed and perceived learning styles, suggesting that students may not accurately identify their learning preferences. Additionally, the findings emphasize that self-directed study strategies can compensate for missed lectures, reinforcing the need for active learning approaches over rigid learning style-based teaching methods in health professional education.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"704-711"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144235850","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":"Competency evaluation using randomized testing: feasibility of a new structured assessment method.","authors":"M Jawad Hashim, Alexander Kieu","doi":"10.1152/advan.00111.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00111.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Assessing the clinical competence of health care students is challenging as it involves direct observation of practical performance. We evaluated the effectiveness of a new format for assessing practical skills: competency evaluation using randomized testing (CERT). CERT is a structured assessment format that uses random variants within each station. CERT is designed to be authentic, learner centered, and competency oriented. We conducted a controlled trial of CERT among final-year medical students in a clinical clerkship. There were 33 medical students in the intervention (CERT) group and 33 in the control group. The CERT sessions included six stations, each using variations to protect the integrity of exam content. Each of the six stations had four variants, which were randomly assigned to students. Scores were adjusted based on the difficulty level of each variant. The primary outcome measure was performance on a standardized posttest. Learning scores were higher in the intervention group [mean National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) adjusted scores: 72.9 vs. 61.1 in control group; <i>P</i> < 0.001]. Students who entered the session later did not have higher scores compared to those who finished earlier. Scores from the new format correlated with NBME marks. The new format was rated highly by medical students. CERT, a structured assessment using randomized variations in stations, is a feasible and potentially valid format for evaluating clinical competence. By using random variations, CERT protects the integrity of assessment, allows flexible scheduling, and facilitates assessment of a large number of candidates.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Competency evaluation using randomized testing (CERT) is a new format for assessing practical skills. It uses random variations to protect the integrity of the examination content. This allows candidates to be scheduled individually without having to keep them in a waiting room. We evaluated the feasibility of CERT at a medical college and found that it led to improved learning outcomes and high satisfaction ratings. CERT facilitates the assessment of clinical competencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"801-806"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144561892","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":"A Fick tool: connecting Fick's law and principle in teaching pulmonary gas exchange.","authors":"Simon Green","doi":"10.1152/advan.00044.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00044.2025","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"807-811"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144610254","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":"Bibliometric guides to early physical exercise, education, and rehabilitation research on girls and women.","authors":"James L Nuzzo","doi":"10.1152/advan.00196.2024","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00196.2024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Today, the historical representation of women as participants in exercise science research is frequently discussed. Often omitted from these discussions is women's participation in early research in fields that are historically linked to exercise science such as physical education and physical therapy. Much interest in women's health was expressed in papers published in these other fields, thus omission of this content from contemporary discussions about women's research representation gives an impression that early researchers, many of whom were female physical educators and therapists, were disinterested in women's health, including the menstrual cycle. To address this impression and expand historical knowledge, I created two bibliometric lists of relevant historical content published in physical exercise, education, and rehabilitation (PEER) journals before 1980. The first list is comprised of 95 papers that included 306 photographs of girls and women participating in PEER research between 1907 and 1979. These papers were discovered via searches of personal files and the complete digital archives of <i>Journal of Applied Physiology</i> (1948-1979), <i>Medicine and Science in Sports</i> (1969-1979), and <i>Research Quarterly</i> (1930-1979). Photographs often showed girls and women being assessed on muscle strength, motor skill learning, body composition, and posture. The second list is comprised of 77 papers (1876-1979) that included data or commentary on the menstrual cycle or menstrual symptoms (e.g., dysmenorrhea) within PEER contexts. Brief descriptions of the papers and photographs are presented. Educators and researchers can use these bibliometric lists to enrich future lectures and writings regarding the history of women's early participation in PEER research.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> I created one bibliometric list of 95 journal papers that included photographs of girls and women participating in early physical exercise, education, and rehabilitation (PEER) research and another bibliometric list of 77 early PEER papers that contained data or commentary on the menstrual cycle or menstrual symptoms within PEER contexts. Educators and researchers can use these papers to enrich future lectures and writings regarding the history of women's early participation in PEER research.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"668-679"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144094198","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":"Teaching renal physiology through a flipped classroom: integrating active learning and clinical context in an organ system-based curriculum.","authors":"Cesar Barrabi, Hayley Derricott","doi":"10.1152/advan.00086.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00086.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The flipped classroom model is increasingly used in medical education to promote active learning, clinical integration, and student engagement. This report describes the implementation of a revised flipped classroom approach during a renal physiology unit at an international medical school structured around prework, in-class application, and postsession review. Students prepared with concise slides and optional resources and then engaged in group discussions, case-based activities, and instructor-guided annotations to apply physiological concepts in clinical contexts. Postsession quizzes and structured repetition reinforced understanding. Compared to a prior cohort, this revised approach was associated with improved exam performance and more consistent participation. This model suggests that thoughtfully structured flipped classroom instruction can support learning in physiology-intensive units and that it adapts well to the needs of diverse student populations in integrated curricula.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This article describes a structured flipped classroom model implemented during a renal physiology unit at an international medical school. The approach emphasized clinical integration, active learning, and consistent preparation. Compared to a prior cohort, students demonstrated improved exam performance and reported strong engagement and perceived understanding. These findings suggest that thoughtfully designed flipped instruction can enhance learning in physiology-intensive units and may be especially valuable in international or academically diverse medical education settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"812-816"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144610255","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":"Old habits die hard? How to challenge students and professors to rethink the teaching and learning processes in biophysics using escape room-based games.","authors":"Thaís Busatto Crestani, Mariana Tamborindeguy, Fernanda Bordignon Nunes, Maria Beatriz Fonte Kohek, Gisele Branchini","doi":"10.1152/advan.00260.2023","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00260.2023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One primary challenge in basic health program courses like biophysics is engaging students who struggle to connect initial concepts with future professional practice, leading to a lack of commitment to learning biophysics. Many classes also fail to develop skills and abilities essential for healthcare professionals, such as teamwork, communication, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and delegation. Educational games can be used to encourage students' commitment to knowledge construction and test their mental models to foster an active learning environment. An educational game based on the worldwide popular \"escape room\" model was developed, wherein teams collaborate to uncover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks within a set timeframe to achieve a specific goal: escape the room by discovering a password related to biophysics themes. To work on biophysics topics, such as acid-base balance, bioelectrogenesis, fluid compartments (composition and osmolarity), fluid dynamics, and membrane transport, the scenario was designed with elements relevant to daily professional practice, such as laboratory equipment, reagent flasks, stethoscopes, and saline solutions. Students participated in groups, answering class-related questions, and solving puzzles and riddles to \"escape\" the room. The assessment of student performance involved observing their discussions and knowledge construction during the activity. At the activity's conclusion, students completed a satisfaction survey, providing feedback to refine future editions. The utilization of the escape room format provided an immersive and enjoyable learning experience, enhancing student motivation and participation. Thus, we demonstrate that old habits of teaching and learning, as expository classes, are not so hard to break.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Biophysics classes provide essential knowledge to understand physiology and pathology, which are central to many clinical conditions. However, the basic sciences seem far from relevant to students' future practice, and they may struggle to see their relevance. To increase student engagement, we applied strategies based on escape room activities to bring biophysics closer to situations that professionals will encounter in their clinical practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"817-823"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144621103","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":"Active learning to improve numeracy skills and confidence using quizzes in first-year biomedical science undergraduates.","authors":"Stephen M Fitzjohn, Alice M Semenenko, Frances M MacMillan","doi":"10.1152/advan.00199.2024","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00199.2024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In response to a decline in the numeracy skills and confidence of first-year biomedical science undergraduate students, a series of quizzes was developed to encourage students to practice their numeracy skills with topic-related problems. The quizzes were created using existing tools in the online learning platform Blackboard (Blackboard, Inc.). The organization of the quizzes included repetition and a gamification element to encourage engagement by students. Analysis of pre- and postassessment data as well as a final subject-related test demonstrate a statistically significant improvement of the test scores in the students who engaged with the quizzes compared to those who did not. The confidence of the students who completed all the quizzes also improved. This strategy and configuration of quizzes could easily be adapted to topics other than numeracy.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Do your students struggle with numeracy skills related to physiology? We have developed a series of online quizzes that have been shown to improve student confidence and ability in numeracy.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"680-685"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144136339","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":"Building connections: promoting meaningful learning of the human circulatory system through leading questions.","authors":"Vimolsri Ittikitpaisarn, Karnyupha Jittivadhna","doi":"10.1152/advan.00053.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00053.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Teaching cardiovascular physiology to undergraduate students through lectures that lack real-life connections or relevance to professional practice can be problematic, as many students struggle to apply the material. To address this, we recently implemented a leading-question teaching strategy in our undergraduate health science courses. This approach aimed to enhance students' understanding by building on foundational knowledge from previous biology, anatomy, and physiology courses and connecting it to commonly used terms, real-life experiences, and practical concerns. During class, discussions were guided by leading questions, with the instructor facilitating the conversation and providing justifications. The results showed that students found the combination of leading questions, whole class discussion, and instructor guidance helpful in fostering meaningful learning. They expressed satisfaction with this teaching method. Additionally, the key concepts and explanations developed jointly by the students and instructor were beneficial for all students, including those who are typically more reserved.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This article presents the essential concepts of the human parallel circulation system, shedding light on how this knowledge can help clarify the common jargon and practices students encounter in everyday life. The explanation is based on a leading-question teaching strategy, with answers and insights gathered from undergraduate health science students through whole class discussions.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"749-757"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144286962","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":"Mindset matters: exploring the link between mindsets, learning intentions, and performance in biomedical science students.","authors":"Angus Linklater-Steele, Kay Colthorpe, Louise Ainscough","doi":"10.1152/advan.00012.2025","DOIUrl":"10.1152/advan.00012.2025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Students' \"mindset\" (self-beliefs and attitudes toward their abilities) can impact academic achievement, with those possessing a growth mindset more likely to succeed. It has been postulated that students with a growth mindset, who believe they can improve their abilities through dedication, effort, and learning may have deeper intentions when learning, thereby enabling a deeper understanding. However, the relationship between students' mindset and their learning intentions remains unexplored. Using a mixed-method study we examined the relationship between mindset, learning intentions, and academic performance in second-year biomedical science students (<i>n</i>_consent = 256). Through inductive and deductive thematic analysis of open-ended questions, we determined students' mindsets and learning intentions. Qualitative themes were then quantified to determine theme-response frequencies. Statistical analysis was then conducted to assess the relationship between mindsets, learning intentions, and academic performance. Nearly two-thirds of students held a growth mindset about their bioscience ability. Growth mindset students reported a greater number of deep learning intentions and achieved higher academic performance compared to fixed mindset students. Targeted interventions to further support growth-oriented beliefs and address fixed or mixed mindsets may facilitate positive changes in students' learning intentions.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This study demonstrates that growth mindset students in biomedical science report more deep learning intentions and achieve higher academic performance compared to their fixed mindset peers. Through a mixed-method approach, it highlights the unexplored relationship between mindset, learning intentions, and performance. The findings underscore the role of mindset in shaping learning behaviors and suggest that fostering a growth mindset could improve educational outcomes in science disciplines.</p>","PeriodicalId":50852,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Physiology Education","volume":" ","pages":"780-788"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144295304","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}