Ophthalmoscopy is an essential skill for medical trainees, however, trainees commonly report feeling uncomfortable with this skill. The purpose of this study is to determine the utility of a low-cost simulator in improving medical student's comfort and proficiency with direct ophthalmoscopy. An easy to assemble simulator was constructed using…

Mastering the complexity of the nervous system is essential for education programs in physiology, anatomy, and neuroscience. Students often struggle when learning somatosensory pathways, which convey information from sensory neurons to the somatosensory cortex in the brain. Active learning activities incorporating physical models have been shown…

While helping proofread a book during my doctoral studies, I came across a chapter that included (among other things) a discussion of a set of problems and tasks involving the building of towers using only two (or three) colours of cubes (Maher & Ahluwali, 2014). Later that year, as I started my tenure track position at the University of…

The COVID-19 pandemic affected a large range of in-person education activities in Colombia. This created great limitations in academic performance for students with reduced access to communication technologies and deepened the educational gaps in the country. This was particularly true for sciences such as biochemistry. In Colombia, molecular…

Difficulty in visualizing anatomical structures has been identified as a challenge in anatomy learning and the emergence of three-dimensional printed models (3DPMs) offers a potential solution. This study evaluated the effectiveness of 3DPMs for learning the arterial supply of the head and neck region. One hundred eighty-four undergraduate medical…

While traditional anatomy education often emphasizes passive learning and rote memorization, it seldom employs constructivist theories that focus on active, hands-on experiences for effective learning. This study tests the hypothesis that tactile experiences with modeling clay enhance geometric mental representation more effectively than verbal…

Magnetic molecular models help students explore molecular structures and interactions. In this study, we investigated how pairs of students used magnetic models to explore hydrogen bonding and the 6-fold symmetry of snowflakes. Fourteen first-year students enrolled in a chemistry unit participated in pairs. Students' interactions with the magnetic…

For decades, chemical modeling sets have allowed the user to manipulate atoms and bonds using plastic/wooden ball and stick materials. Here is a design for an interlocking toy brick modeling set in which the undergraduate nursing student can manipulate electrons during the simulated chemical bonding exercise. The author presents a teaching and…

This paper presents two low-cost hands-on activities designed to enhance student understanding and address the pedagogical challenges faced by microbiology professors in teaching concepts related to cell structure and gene regulation. In the first activity, we used Shrinky Dinks and Jeopardy-style game questions to explore the differences between…

Three-dimensional (3D) scanning and printing technology has allowed for the production of anatomical replicas at virtually any size. But what size optimizes the educational potential of 3D printing models? This study systematically investigates the effect of model size on nominal anatomy learning. The study population of 380 undergraduate…

This article describes an assignment used in an undergraduate Advanced Exercise Physiology course for seniors. Students' backgrounds in chemistry varied from adequate to almost nonexistent. This presented several challenges for teaching and students' understanding of aerobic oxidation of a glucose molecule. This article presents an assignment for…

Recognizing, building, describing, extending, and analyzing patterns are key components of algebraic reasoning. Oftentimes pattern-based instruction is used to support the understanding of functions and variables. In this study, elementary preservice teachers (n = 23) were asked to explore, extend, explain, create equations for, and analyze…

In response to the shifting modalities of laboratory-based education, particularly amidst the rise of virtual and at-home instruction, we introduce a novel hybrid laboratory module for undergraduate biochemistry and biology courses. Central to this innovative approach is the use of sourdough as a versatile and accessible model organism, enabling a…

Measurement concepts are an essential foundation for more advanced mathematical concepts. To address the challenges of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in learning measurement concepts, this study investigated the effects of using a combination of explicit instruction and virtual manipulatives (VMs) to teach measurement concepts to…

This paper aims to present ways in which origami can be used in the mathematics classroom. Origami provides powerful tools for examining mathematical concepts. The authors explain how origami can be used in senior high school and tertiary levels to explore a Platonic octahedron by focusing on connections between mathematical topics. The folding…