Lectures constitute a basic component of physiology instruction in scientific and healthcare curricula. Technological progress has allowed a switch from face to face to video lectures, yet there is no evidence of video efficacy in physiology. Because videos increase the cognitive load during a learning task, identifying tools that decrease…

Muscle physiology is often perceived as a complex topic by students because of the hierarchical concepts and the need for integrative understanding. Breaking down content in a structured manner allows for segmented bite-sized learning that may enhance students' learning beyond conventional online lectures. We compared the effectiveness of 1)…

Western societal norms have long been constrained by binary and exclusionary perspectives on matters such as infertility, contraception, sexual health, sexuality, and gender. These viewpoints have shaped research and knowledge frameworks for decades and led to an inaccurate and incomplete reproductive biology curriculum. To combat these…

Since the availability of lecture recordings, there have been limited studies of any associations between face-to-face lecture attendance and academic outcomes. The aims of the study, in an introductory pathophysiology course, where lecture recordings were available, were 1) to quantify lecture attendance and any associations between academic…

A 3-year study (2017-2019) was conducted to obtain the views of nonmajor undergraduate students about discussions in learning physiology. The teaching methods used were lecture only (lecture), group discussion alone (discussion), and a combination of lecture and discussion (lecture + discussion). Students were assigned homework in a textbook, and…

In response to COVID-19, educators rapidly pivoted to new and innovative ways of delivering lecture material. The ability to host synchronous lectures on platforms like Zoom gave students continued access to classroom material in the face of an ongoing pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in exam scores between…

Large classes taught with didactic lectures and assessed with multiple-choice tests are commonly reported to promote lower order (LO) thinking and a surface approach (SA) to learning. Using a case study design, we hypothesized that incorporating instructional scaffolding of core physiology principles and assessing students exclusively with…

Embedding clinically relevant learning experience in basic science subjects is desired for the preclinical phase of undergraduate medical education. The present study aimed to modify case-based learning (CBL) with a role-playing situational teaching method and assess the student feedback and learning effect. One hundred seventy-six sophomore…

A new teaching format, the LecturePlus, was formulated as a lecture followed by small-group learning activities. This study assessed the effectiveness of LecturePlus in medical education. An interventional study was conducted among final-year medical students, with 74 students in the experimental group and 96 students in the control group. Each…

Difficulty index and its derivative performance index (PFI) have been commonly used to measure student learning outcomes. However, these indexes have a high volatility and low sensitivity. This work has established the simplex learning index (SLI), which has a low volatility and high sensitivity. To construct SLI, students were divided into two…

The teaching-learning process must constantly overcome the barriers imposed by rapid scientific and technological advances, as well as changes in the profiles of students and access to information. This study intended to analyze the perceptions of students and professors of medical courses of the teaching-learning strategies used in physiology at…

This study assessed the impact of an "active learning" strategy employed alone or in combination with traditional lectures on the learning of mammalian physiology by undergraduate students. The study investigated the impact of three teaching strategies, namely (1) traditional lecture, (2) group discussion alone, and (3) combination of…

Physiology students grapple with large amounts of subject content and hence memorize facts to pass examinations. In parallel, students display limited critical-thinking and creative skills, integration abilities, and/or a deeper engagement with subject content. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of introducing active learning methods…

The COVID-19 pandemic required a shift to online learning that posed particular challenges for the education of dental students. Basic science courses were presented in an online, asynchronous format to facilitate small group rotations through preclinical work. The success of active learning was previously examined in a Dental Physiology course,…

Vertical integration is believed to increase motivation by providing context for the learning. In this quasi-experimental study, cohort I took two horizontally integrated modules: structure and function of head, neck, and special senses in the second year, and pathophysiology and clinical sciences in the third year. Cohort II took a combined,…