1. Strategies and innovations in the teaching and learning of Physiology
How do we improve?
Mark Tufts
Discipline of Physiology
UKZN

2. What are the current problems/issues at UKZN?
High failure rates
Disinterested students and staff
Pressure to increase student numbers
Large classes
Pressure to increase pass rates
Pressure to improve research productivity

3. How do we positively manage these and improve teaching and learning?
Identify the problem correctly and scientifically
Identify appropriate relevant solutions
Be innovative
Reduce the gap between teaching and research
Do not re-invent the wheel – use literature based evidence to help

4. My intention today Introduce the Physiology teaching literature
Give an overview of some research findings
Provide some guidance as to best practice

5. My role in the future Assist and guide others when needed
Give similar sessions on other topics
Workshop ideas

6. The 7 principles of good undergraduate teaching practice
Chickering and Gamson, 1987

7. Physiology is a difficult subject to learn
Most students find it difficult to learn
Most staff find it difficult to teach
Tufts and Higgins-Opitz, 2009; Joel Michael, 2007
Advances of Physiology Education

8. What makes Physiology hard for students to learn?
Teacher survey (Joel Michael, 2007)
Student survey (Tufts and Higgins-Opitz, 2009)

9. Teachers:
Nature of the subject (its difficult, graphs and mathematics, highly integrative, language, understanding multiple organisational levels at the same time)
The way it is taught (too passive, emphasis on facts and not understanding, use difficult lingo, do not stress commonality of systems)
What students bring to the party (background, try to memorise and not understand, will not integrate, they compartmentalise)

10. Students:
Difficult to study Physiology on their own
Cannot understand biological and scientific concepts referred to be physiology teachers
Cannot understand physiological concepts referred to by clinicians
Lack a suitable background
Find the terminology difficult
Do not appreciate the need to study Physiology

11. What were the top problems?
ECG and basic electrophysiology concepts (no nerve-muscle; no synapse, no ANS)
Gastrointestinal and hepatic physiology (no nerve-muscle, no synapse, no ANS)
Renal physiology and chemical aspects of physiology (no pressure/volume; no basic chemistry; no basic homeostasis; very few renal lectures)
No Biology and Physical Science at school (Sport Science students in particular)
Language and relevance (HPHS 111 students)

12. Too much content, not enough thinking, too little fun
Di Carlo, 2009
Advances in Physiology Education

16. Helping students make sense of Physiological mechanisms: the “view from the inside”
Harold Modell, 2007
Advances in Physiology Education
Modell crated a model in which he emphasises the view from the inside

17. Core principles of Physiology
Michael, Modell, McFarlane and Cliff, 2009
There is more physiology than students will ever be able to remember

18. Don’t dump the didactic lecture – fix it
Daniel Richardson, 2009
A well organised lecture is still a useful way of promoting active learning

20. Don’t dump the didactic lecture – fix it
Incorporate active learning into lectures
Even in big classes
Focus on concepts
Don’t spell out all of the details – let them find them
Use real life scenarios
Build in real life community issues relevant to the Physiology
Break up the lecture – do something interesting in between

21. Death by powerpoint
R.M. Harden Medical teacher, 2008
We over powerpoint

22. 12 tips for effective powerpoint use
Holz, 1997
Medical teacher
Bad use of powerpoint and overuse in basic teaching is a potential problem

23. Becoming a truly helpful teacher
Hilliard Jason, 2007

24. Create immature students:
Convey information only
2. Expect correct answers all the time in class
3. Focus on yourself
4. Intimidate, humiliate, castigate
5. Emphasize short-term outcomes (passing the module)

25. To get mature learners:
Ask questions that promote thinking
2. Ask learners to provide questions
3. Focus on the students
4. Respect, support, advocate
5. Emphasize long term outcomes (you need physiology because....)