This study revises and enhances a guided inquiry activity designed to introduce undergraduate and high school students to the physiological concepts of exercise fatigue during a 400-meter dash. This activity has been employed since 2016 in entry-level human physiology courses at the University of Minnesota and across 30 high schools. Using…

The Homeostasis Concept Inventory (HCI) is a validated instrument for measuring students' knowledge of homeostasis. It is comprised of 20 multiple-choice questions covering key components of the previously validated Homeostasis Conceptual Framework (HCF). In this paper, we present the first multi-institutional study of the impact of physiology…

Different types of test items influence students' test anxiety, and physiological measures such as heart rate provide a means of measuring this anxiety. This study aimed to explore the connection between test anxiety and examination item formats. It centered on 20 junior university students in Western Türkiye. The research monitored students'…

This article details a 'puzzling' teaching and learning method to engage undergraduate nursing (BSN) and exercise sciences (BSES) students in physiology or medicine Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, while reviewing course material through the "Puzzling Physiology and Nobel Laureates" (PPNL) game. The qualitative evaluations of 117…

Undergraduate introductory human anatomy and human physiology courses are either taught as discipline-specific or integrated anatomy and physiology (A&P) sequences. An institution underwent a curricular revision to change the course approach from discipline-specific Human Anatomy and Human Physiology to an integrated A&P I and II sequence,…

The multidisciplinary nature of physiology requires students to acquire, retain, apply, and evaluate knowledge from different scientific disciplines. Optimal learning techniques, such as active learning, interleaving topics and conditions, and recall, can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness with which students achieve this type of…

This article will (1) initially outline first-year nursing and undergraduate exercise sciences student perspectives on examinations of the 2011 Michael-McFarland (M-M2011) core principles in physiology through an anonymous online survey, and (2) model an updated approach based on these qualitative findings. Briefly, for the first perspective (i of…

Games and analogies can significantly enrich the learning experience when integrated with traditional expository teaching methods. With this aim, we developed "The Mystery of the Cell Kingdom," an online game designed to enhance understanding of the physiology of thyroid hormones through a medieval analogy. In the game, students are…

Students, particularly those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and healthcare-related programs, should develop proficient interpersonal skills, including communication. To help students develop effective communication skills, instructors need to consider the value students give to learning these skills. The Student…

Background: This study examined the relations between students' expectancies for success and a physiological component of test anxiety, salivary cortisol, during an authentic testing setting. Aims: The aim of the study was to better understand the connection between shifts in students' control appraisals and changes in the physiological component…

Math anxiety (MA) is an important affective factor that contributes to individuals' math proficiency. While self-reports are commonly used to measure MA, a number of limitations are inherently connected to this measuring method. Physiological responses are considered a promising alternative approach, but research is scarce and the empirical…

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) large language models have become sufficiently accessible and user-friendly to assist students with course work, studying tactics, and written communication. AI-generated writing is almost indistinguishable from human-derived work. Instructors must rely on intuition/experience and, recently, assistance from…

Freely accessible generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) poses challenges to physiology education regarding learning and academic integrity. Although many studies have explored the capabilities of GenAI to complete assessments, few have implemented educative activities to highlight GenAI risks and benefits or explored physiology students'…

Purpose: Team-based learning (TBL) is an instructional design that has been increasingly used in anatomy and physiology education. The appropriateness of TBL methods for students with diverse preferred sensory learning modalities has not been adequately examined. This study aimed to show the influence of students' preferred sensory modality for…

In this study, we analyzed data of heart rate and pulse amplitude collected by undergraduate students in a physiology lab course during and after the diving reflex. On average, heart rate was reduced 21% at 15 seconds and 29% at 30 seconds during diving. Pulse amplitude generally decreased but with greater individual variation. There is no…