Human anatomy and physiology?is?considered one of the most difficult courses a student can take in a pre-health professional major in the US (Slominski, et. al., 2017). Research has revealed benefits of the use of art and anatomy within medical education, including improved clinical observational skills, greater understanding of disease and…

Community college students come from a variety of backgrounds and have different levels of educational preparedness compared to undergraduates in 4-year undergraduate schools. Historically, retention rates of these students in human physiology courses have been low, often due to non-passing grades. Incorporation of additional active learning…

Digestion is a fundamentally important process for an individual's life. However, the physical process of digestion is hidden inside the body, making it challenging to understand and a particularly difficult topic for students to learn in the classroom. Traditional approaches to teaching body processes include a mixture of textbook teaching and…

This paper presents community college (CC) instructors' responses to the Community College Anatomy and Physiology Educational Research (CAPER) project, a professional development program focused on active learning and educational research. We engage with conceptual change theory to better understand why and how CC instructors shifted their…

In the United States, there is a demand for registered nurses. To be admitted into the nursing program, students need to complete prerequisite courses such as human anatomy and physiology. Many students find human anatomy and physiology challenging due to the nature of the content. Poor performance in human anatomy and physiology can preclude a…

One of the most challenging aspects of teaching anatomy and physiology is using teaching tools that enhance active learning and keep students actively engaged during the lecture courses. This study explored the use of a student response system that was easy to use, cost-efficient, and re-usable for multiple anatomy and physiology courses. More…

This article describes the use of feedback-oriented online assignments in large classes of undergraduate students studying anatomy and physiology to promote active learning, critical thinking, and effective written communication skills.

Learning the physiology of the cardiovascular system can be difficult for students, but the use of active teaching methodologies can help and enhance learning. To facilitate the understanding of how the cardiovascular system works, we built a functional model for Veterinary Medicine students attending a cardiovascular physiology lecture and…

Medical graduates are expected to apply scientific principles and explain the processes underlying common and important diseases. Evidence shows that integrated medical curricula, which deliver biomedical science within the context of clinical cases, facilitate student learning in preparation for practice. However, research has also shown that the…

The California Blackworm ("Lumbriculus variegatus") is a freshwater segmented worm species that has been used by biology instructors as a model system for inquiry-based student investigations. The blackworm dorsal blood vessel pulsation rate is easily quantified. Moreover, this species can facilitate the study of neuromuscular…

This paper analyzes the lived experience of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students participating in the service-learning program, Anatomy Academy. To understand this experience, we performed a phenomenological analysis using the reflections of 31 DPT students as they participated as Mentors to 5th grade elementary students. Mentors used active…

Pre-clinical community college students represent a unique population with varied academic backgrounds and levels of preparedness. Addressing the needs of this population is important for issues of access, equity, and diversity in higher education. As part of a larger National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Community College Anatomy and…

The authors determined whether positive perceptions of integrating lecture and lab in Anatomy and Physiology courses persisted from 2015-2018. Students (843) and instructors (56) completed the Student Assessment of Their Learning Gains survey; perceptions were positive and consistent between both groups. Participant narratives identified the…

This narrative study tells the teaching and learning story of the recently retired Dr. Peggy LePage, a longtime member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society with a career as a community college anatomy and biology professor spanning nearly three decades. Drawn from a lengthy narrative interview, this paper describes Dr. LePage's background…

Reflections on the efficacy of pedagogical changes and practices and their effect on student performance are often hindered by incomplete data, small sample sizes, and the confounding variables of multiple instructors and teaching sites. Observations from such retrospective analyses, however, are highly sought after by instructors and…