To address the need for greater flexibility in access to higher education, an online graduate course in physiology using case studies was developed and offered in summer 2012. Topics in both animal and human physiology were organized as modules that contained a case study with questions, a prerecorded online lecture, and three research journal articles. We followed best practices for teaching a...

Laminar and Turbulent Flow. If a fluid flows through a long, smooth-walled, narrow tube at a low flow rate, flow is likely to be “laminar.” Here the particles of fluid travel parallel to the sides of the tube. This is often the case for blood flowing in veins. Flow is proportional to the pressure difference (Figure 2A). The viscosity of the fluid is an important determinant of the relationship ...

Teaching a lecture course in introductory human physiology with 40-183 students provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that regular attendance is correlated with higher examination scores. Data on 556 students were recorded during five semesters, each consisting of three classes per week for 14 weeks. The students were in the second year of pharmacy, nursing, physical education, and den...

The topic of psychoactive drugs is one of inherent interest to college students. We used this insight to design and implement a multidisciplinary undergraduate course with psychoactive drugs as the central theme. The Medical Science of Psychoactive Drugs examines the biological mechanisms underlying all major effects of psychoactive drugs, including the effects on the brain and other organs and...

I developed an inquiry-based laboratory model that uses a central theme throughout the semester to develop in undergraduate biology majors the skills required for conducting science while introducing them to modern and classical physiological techniques. The physiology laboratory uses a goal-oriented approach, with students working cooperatively in small groups to answer basic biological questi...

Physiologists are currently faced with a spectrum of challenging questions related to education. The broad questions of what should be taught at various levels (e.g., secondary, college, professional), who should do the teaching, and how can we maximize learning by students at various levels encompass a variety of issues that are impacted by both scientific and social factors. What constitutes ...

Ballistocardiography is an old, noninvasive technique used to record the movements of the body synchronous with the heartbeat due to left ventricular pump activity. Despite the fact that this technique to measure cardiac output has been superseded by more advanced and precise techniques, it is useful for teaching cardiac cycle physiology in an undergraduate practical course because of its nonin...

s for Federation Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 An Invitation from the President . . . J. R. Brobeck . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Sixteenth Bowditch Lecture . . . J. Alan Herd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 The Physiology Teacher A Progress Report and a Request . . . . . 17 The Regional Resource Center: A Way to Improve the Teaching of Human Phys...