Undergraduate Designed Investigations in the Human Physiology Laboratory

 

Karen A. McMahon

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2014, Volume 35

Poster file:

Abstract

In spring 2013, Human Physiology Laboratory (Biol. 2151) course was created as a requirement for majors in nursing, athletic training, and exercise & sports science at the University of Tulsa. Biol 2151 replaced a one-semester Human Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory for which physiology experimentation was limited due to the emphasis on the anatomical component of the course. With a course completely dedicated to the study of human physiology, I was able to incorporate many of the lessons in human physiology from the BIOPAC Student Lab®, a hardware and software data acquisition system which employs students themselves as the test subjects. It was also possible for students to design their own investigations. This poster is a report of the student-designed physiology experiments which included: differences in motor unit recruitment between athletes and non-athletes (Fig.1); effectiveness of soothing music and hand warmers as biofeedback treatments (Fig.2); differences in reaction times between gamers vs. non-gamers and musicians vs. non-musicians (Fig.3); the influence of temperature on the diving reflex (Fig.4); and the effect of exercise on pulmonary volumes (Fig.5). The student-designed approach was enthusiastically received and has empowered students in the planning of their coursework in the laboratory.

Keywords:  human physiology, Biopac

University of Calgary (2013)