Integrating synapse, muscle contraction, and autonomic nervous system game: effect on learning and evaluation of students' opinions

Project-Based Learning Adapted as a Physiology Teaching Strategy for the Sophomore Undergraduate Medical Students

Context

Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching strategy in which students work as a group to identify a problem and discuss ideas for its solution. It is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or even create a product based on a project. It places the student at the center of the teaching-learning process and stimulates their engagement to transform learning into knowledge.

Proposal

The aim of the present study was to use an adapted PBL approach as a physiology teaching strategy for sophomore medical students. For this, at the end of the semester, 148 students were organized in groups and were instructed to develop projects on the topics of cardiorespiratory physiology and metabolic physiology. Evaluation was made of the development and presentation of the projects, comparing the grades with those obtained in tests taken individually by the students at the beginning of the semester. The opinions of the students about the strategy were analyzed using a questionnaire answered individually. The results showed that different strategies were developed by the students to present their projects, notably employing question and answer board games, card games, and videos simulating interviews with clinicians. The mean scores for the collaborative group activities were significantly higher than for the tests performed individually by the students. The answers given in the opinion questionnaire indicated that most of the students considered the strategy useful for their learning, since it stimulated research, study, and discussion on the topics studied. Most of the students believed that working as a group was beneficial and that the time allocated for the project development was sufficient.

Conclusion

Therefore, use of the adapted project-based learning as a physiology teaching strategy was viewed positively by the students and improved their performance in learning about cardiorespiratory and metabolic physiology.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02092-y.

Game-based learning enhances students' understanding of endocrine physiology in veterinary medicine

Endocrine physiology is a complex subject for students. Game-based learning (GBL) and case-based learning (CBL) are active methodologies that are widely used because of their potential for motivation and greater proximity to the reality of modern students. We evaluated the effectiveness of GBL and CBL among veterinary medicine students compared with a control group using peer tutoring. Students (n = 106) from two institutions volunteered to participate in this study. The participants were submitted to a pretest questionnaire and subsequently were divided into three paired groups by their performance on the pretest exam: 1) traditional class + peer tutoring, 2) traditional class + GBL, and 3) traditional class + CBL. After the students completed the activities, their performance was once again evaluated by applying a new test with the same initial 10 questions and another set of 10 different questions. The students' perceptions and satisfaction with the methodologies and learning strategies were assessed. Anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory before and after the conventional class and after the active methodologies. The GBL group significantly improved their correct answers compared with the baseline (P < 0.05), with no significant difference from CBL and peer tutoring. Anxiety levels did not differ regardless of the time of evaluation or the teaching methodology applied. GBL promoted a greater perception of the stimulus for self-study and problem-solving ability and contributed to the development of group dynamics compared with the group who received CBL (P < 0.05). In conclusion, GBL showed better results than peer tutoring and CBL.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We compared the supplementary use of game-based learning, case-based learning, and peer tutoring in the study of endocrine physiology by veterinary students and observed a slight advantage for game-based learning over the other two methodologies. The game was developed by the authors and is an unprecedented tool that can prove useful to improve knowledge acquisition in students of veterinary medicine. Thus, game-based learning is an effective supplementary teaching strategy.

Cracking the code: using educational gaming for high-level thinking in physiology education

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 higher-order thinking. However, developing and implementing optimal learning techniques in the classroom can be both time-intensive and challenging for the instructor. In addition, students may be resistant or slow to accept novel learning processes. One way to potentially introduce these learning techniques in a fun and engaging way is through educational gaming, or using a game or game elements intentionally to support learning. In this article we present an easy-to-implement adaptation of the Codenames board game for the physiology classroom. The activity requires minimal preparation while addressing high-level learning outcomes. Postintervention surveys of students were collected in three different health-related academic programs, both graduate and undergraduate, at two different institutions. Results suggest that participating in the activity both actively engaged the students and pushed them toward high-level, integrative thinking regardless of class level.NEW & NOTEWORTHY An easy-to-implement word game (Codenames) was used to engage students in higher-level Bloom's thinking about physiology. The gameplay required students to recall, apply, evaluate, and debate as they developed and guessed clues as part of the game. Students found the activity fun, engaging, and challenging. The activity is relatively easy to implement both online and in person, requiring at minimum a simple list of vocabulary terms.

Game-Based Learning in Neuroscience: Key Terminology, Literature Survey, and How To Guide to Create a Serious Game

Game-based learning (GBL) has emerged as a promising approach to engage students and promote deep learning in a variety of educational settings. Neurology and neuroscience are complex fields that require an understanding of intricate neural structures and their functional roles. GBL can support the acquisition and application of such knowledge. In this article, we give an overview of the current state of GBL in neuroscience education. First, we review the language of gaming, establishing conceptual definitions for game elements, gamification, serious games, and GBL. Second, we discuss a literature review of games in the educational literature for adult learners involved in neuroscience. Third, we review available games intended for neuroscience education. Finally, we share tips for educators interested in developing their own educational games. By leveraging the unique features of games, including interactivity, feedback, and immersive experiences, educators and learners can engage with complex neuroscience concepts in a fun, engaging, and effective way.

Active learning methodology, associated to formative assessment, improved cardiac physiology knowledge and decreased pre-test stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety caused by assessments are often related to the student's insecurity regarding the knowledge to be evaluated, while teaching strategies that increase effective learning can assist in reducing it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that the use of an active methodology, associated to formative assessment, could reduce students' anxiety and stress, when compared to the traditional method, by promoting greater learning. New students enrolled in the same discipline of a Dentistry course were invited to participate in the study and were divided into two groups: traditional method and active methodology. The traditional method group received two lectures, delivered orally. The active methodology group received a lecture about cardiac cells and the autonomic control of cardiac function, with home study of the cardiac cycle using a textbook. In the second class, an individual formative assessment was applied. Afterwards, a group activity was performed with an educational game about the cardiac cycle, followed by a group formative assessment. After applying the traditional or active methodology, test 1 was carried out. Immediately before this test, saliva samples were collected for determination of the concentrations of the stress biomarkers cortisol and α-amylase. The students also answered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire, used for anxiety level determination. The score obtained in the test 1 was significantly higher for the active methodology group, compared to the traditional method group. No significant differences between the groups were observed for baseline cortisol and salivary α-amylase concentrations, or for anxiety scores. Before test 1, traditional method group presented higher concentrations of salivary cortisol and α-amylase, compared to the respective baseline values, while the active methodology group showed no difference between the baseline and test 1 levels. Before test 1, there were increases in anxiety levels, relative to the respective baseline values, regardless of the teaching methodology used, but this increase was greater for the traditional method group, compared to the active methodology group. These results showed that the active methodology, associated to formative assessment, decreased test stress and anxiety, with improved student performance in comparison to traditional lectures.

A 3-D-printed synaptic puzzle contributes to students' synaptic transmission comprehension

We created the "3-dimensional synaptic puzzle" (3Dsp) as an educational resource for the physiology teaching of synaptic transmission (ST). In this study, we aimed to apply and evaluate the use of 3Dsp. For this, we divided 175 university students from public and private universities into two groups: 1) control (CT; students that were only exposed to traditional class or video lessons about ST), and; 2) test (3Dsp; students that were exposed to the 3Dsp practical class in addition to the traditional theoretical class). ST knowledge of students was evaluated before, immediately after, and 15 days after interventions. Additionally, students completed a questionnaire about their perception of teaching-learning methods used in physiology classes and their self-perception of engagement in the physiology content. The CT groups improved their ST knowledge score from pretest to immediate (P < 0.0001 for all groups) and late posttest (P < 0.0001 for all groups). 3Dsp groups also enhanced their score from pretest to immediate (P = 0.029 for public university students; P < 0.0001 for private university students) and late posttest (P < 0.0001 for all groups). We also observed improvement from the immediate to late posttest in the 3Dsp group from private universities (P < 0.001). Both private groups performed better in general ST and specific electrical synapse questions in the pretest and immediate posttest compared to the public CT group (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). More than 90% of the students from both universities affirmed that the 3Dsp contributed to their physiology comprehension and that they would recommend the use of the 3-D models to other teachers in their classes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We included a 3-dimensional puzzle (3Dsp) of electrical and chemical synapses in the physiology of synaptic transmission (ST) teaching. After a traditional or video lesson class, students from private and public universities were oriented to use the educational resource. More than 90% of the students affirmed that the 3Dsp improved their comprehension of ST content.

The Physiological Court

Research has been important to prove that student achievement can improve when active methodologies are properly implemented, either in isolation or integrated with lectures. Here, active methodology was organized according to a student-centered collaborative design that involved group debate, described as a Physiological Court. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the performance and perception of medical students after integrating short lectures with collaborative work and debate. The activity was carried out with students (n = 50) from the 2nd year of medical school. The activity performed was related to the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axes. The students were instructed to prepare a study material on the proposed themes to be used on the day of the debate. At the activity day, the 2 students' groups (n = 25) were organized in the classroom so that they were face-to-face. Five days after, the students answered the cognitive monitoring test (CMT) which consists of 5 multiple choice questions (MCQ). Students also answered a question about their perception of the activities performed. Ninety-two percent of students showed a positive perception of the activities performed. After completion of the physiological court, 83 ± 4% of students achieved grades above 7.0 on CMT. The percentage of incorrect answers was 5 ± 1.3% in CMT. The association of 40-min lectures with active methodologies was positive for the perception and the performance of students in the second years of medical school related to the physiology of the endocrine systems.

Lectures and collaborative working improves the performance of medical students

The teaching-learning process is complex and requires continuous research and dedication. Research has been important to prove that student achievement can improve when active methodologies are properly implemented, either in isolation or integrated with a short lecture. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the performance and perception of first-year medical students subjected to a protocol involving the integration of a short lecture and collaborative compilation of portfolios on the topic of digestive physiology. After the lectures and elaboration of the portfolios, the students completed two tests: cognitive monitoring test (CMT) and integrative cognitive test (ICT), and then, they gave their opinions of the strategy. For CMT, the percentage of grade exceeding 7.0 was higher for the group who performed the portfolio activity, compared with the group who did not undertake the activity, and there was a lower percentage of incorrect answers among the portfolio group students, compared with the group that did not perform the activity. For ICT, the percentage of grades exceeding 7.0 was higher for the students who used the portfolio, compared with those who did not perform the activity, and there was also a reduction in incorrect answers among students who performed the portfolio activity, compared with those who did not perform the activity. The combination of short lectures and collaborative group work using a portfolio improved the grades obtained for digestive physiology. Most of the students believed that the collaborative work contributed to their learning about digestive physiology. In addition, most of them were comfortable working in their groups and did not feel dominated by other group members.

Effect of an active learning methodology combined with formative assessments on performance, test anxiety, and stress of university students

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an active methodology combined with a lecture on undergraduate student learning and levels of stress and anxiety. The active learning methodology consisted of a lecture of 50-min duration, study at home with a textbook, an educational game activity, and three formative assessments on the topic of the cardiac cycle. In a following class, the students provided saliva samples to evaluate their levels of stress, received an anxiety test, and then undertook an exam to assess their understanding of the cardiac cycle. The traditional teaching methodology consisted of two lectures (∼2-h duration) on blood pressure control systems, delivered orally. In the third class, the students provided saliva samples, received an anxiety test, and then undertook an exam to assess their understanding of blood pressure control systems. The level of stress was assessed with the concentrations of the stress biomarkers cortisol and alpha-amylase in saliva. Anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. The students achieved significantly higher average scores in exams when the active learning strategy was applied compared with the use of traditional theoretical classes. The active methodology resulted in significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety, as well as improved student performance, compared with the use of traditional lectures.

A hydraulic model of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology embedded into a computer-based teaching system for student training in laboratory courses

Functional understanding of the different parts of the cardiovascular system is essential for an insight into pathomechanisms of numerous diseases. During training cardiovascular physiology, students and early-stage medical personnel should understand the role of different functional parameters for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as for blood flow. The impact of isolated parameters can only be studied in models. Here physical hydraulic models are an advantage in which the students have a direct contact to the mechanical properties of the circulatory system. But these models are often difficult to handle. The aim of the present study was to develop a comprehensive model of the cardiovascular system, including a mechanical heart with valves, an elastic aorta, a more rigid peripheral artery system, a total peripheral resistance, and a venous reservoir representing the variable cardiac preload. This model allows one to vary systematically several functional parameters and to continuously record their impact on pressure and flow. This model is embedded into a computer-based teaching system (LabTutor) in which the students are guided through the handling of the model (as well as the systematic variation of parameters), and the measured data can be analyzed. This hybrid teaching system, which is routinely integrated in physiology laboratory courses of medical students, allows students to work with a complex hydraulic model of the cardiovascular system and to analyze systematically the impact of influencing variables (e.g., increased peripheral resistance or changed cardiac preload) as well as pathophysiological dysfunctions (e.g., reduced aortic compliance).