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2004 Education Committee Report
In 2003-2004, the Education Committee continued and
expanded its activities, focusing on the 2000 APS Strategic Plan Goal, “To
promote awareness, understanding, and education in physiology at all
levels.” Highlights of some of the major activities are outlined here.
Graduate Student Education
At the graduate level, the Committee’s activities are
currently focused on improving the overall graduate education of physiology
trainees. Two new initiatives were launched this year toward this end.
Listing of Professional Skills: A working group
representing the Education Committee, Career Opportunities in Physiology
Committee, Women in Physiology Committee, and Association of Chairs of
Departments of Physiology, developed a listing of the professional skills
that should be developed by trainees at the graduate, postdoctoral, and
early career levels. The group was co-chaired by Robert Carroll (for APS)
and William H. Dantzler (for ACDP), and included Francis L. Belloni (Careers
Committee), Vernon S. Bishop (ACDP), Carole M. Liedtke (Women in Physiology
Committee), and William S. Spielman (ACDP). The APS and ACDP membership
provided feedback on the draft listing and it was approved by both the APS
Council and the ACDP at their November and December 2003 meetings,
respectively.
The APS/ACDP List of Professional Skills for
Physiologists and Trainees is available at the APS website as a downloadable
file (http://www.the-aps.org/education/skills.htm).
In the coming year, the List will be available as a print document and as an
html document with extensive links to some of the nearly 5,000 career
resources available at the APS Career Web.
Trainee Member Listserv: A listserv for student members
of the APS was developed in May 2003. The listserv is coordinated by the
Education Office and provides monthly updates on awards, fellowships,
meetings, and job opportunities for student members of the APS. For
additional information, contact the APS Education Officer, Marsha Matyas (mmatyas@the-aps.org).
Medical Physiology Education
The Committee’s focus for medical physiology is on
providing resources and information to both improve and enrich medical
physiology education. Resources focus on both content and teaching methods.
APS Archive of Teaching Resources: In its first full
year of operation, the Archive (http://www.apsarchive.org), APS’ free
digital library of teaching resources, has grown in both size and diversity
of resources. About 60% of the Archives’ 380+ resources are appropriate for
use at the graduate and professional school levels. These resources include
not only fully catalogued and searchable Advances in Physiology Education
articles (N=197) but also graphics, simulations, webs, PowerPoint
presentations, laboratory activities, and other resources contributed by
individual physiology educators. They also include resources from the Human
Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), the APS Archive’s first partnering
organization. The use of the Archive continues to grow; it now averages more
than 62,000 “hits” (pages accessed) per month by an average of about 1,000
users per month. In addition, the number of persons electing to download
teaching resources from the Archive has more than tripled in one year, from
730 users to 2,100 users.
Additional submissions to the Archive are being sought
via exhibits, workshops, poster presentations, email listservs, and
one-on-one contact. In the past year, the Archive has been promoted by the
Education Office staff through workshops and/or exhibits at six education
meetings in the US and Canada, as well as through the regular scientific
meeting exhibits of the Marketing Department. The Archive continues to
participate as a founding partner of the AAAS’ BiosciEd Net (BEN)
partnership which now has more than 20 partnering societies and projects
(see http://www.biosciednet.org). The Archive receives partial support from
a grant from the National Science Foundation.
EB 2004 Refresher Courses: The 2004 Refresher Courses
on Cellular Homeostasis were organized by Michael Romero (morning session)
and Jeffrey Freedman (afternoon workshop). The morning session was extremely
well attended, attracting over 250 attendees, with most staying for the
entire session. The majority of those attending were faculty at medical
schools or colleges/universities, as well as a large number of postdoctoral
fellows and graduate students. Nearly ¾ of those providing feedback
indicated that cellular homeostasis was not their primary area of
specialization. As this is the target group for the Refresher Course, the
Committee is pleased that the courses continue to draw the participants for
whom they were designed. Over half of the attendees completed a feedback
form, giving the program an average rating of 4.3 on a 5 point scale. An
afternoon workshop was held to expand on the topic of the morning session,
providing opportunities for participants to try three “mini-labs” for
teaching about the membrane potential in a cell physiology course. These
mini-labs provide students with hands on experience with certain basic
physiological phenomena, reinforce the concepts presented in lectures, and
introduce certain physiological methods and techniques.
Use of Animals in Medical Education: At Council’s
direction, the Education Committee, in conjunction with the ACE Committee,
will work to develop a report and policy statement on the educational value
of animal laboratories. This report will describe how the use of
laboratories, specifically including animal laboratories, provides a unique
and effective educational experience for physiology education at all levels.
There is a significant body of educational research supporting participatory
learning, and institutions that do use animals have collected and are
willing to share student comments evaluating the proper use of animals.
Undergraduate Physiology Education
At the undergraduate level, Committee activities
encourage both excellence in undergraduate education and encouragement and
support for student participation in research.
New EB Undergraduate Poster Session: The Education
Committee sponsored a new EB poster session for undergraduate students. The
Session, held on Sunday afternoon, allows many of the undergraduates who are
not able to stay for the entire EB meeting to present their posters. Of the
88 undergraduates submitting abstracts as first authors, 75 displayed at the
session. Refreshments were provided by APS. Approximately 100 APS members
came to see the posters and talk with the students. The Committee plans to
hold this event annually at EB.
David Bruce Awards: EB 2004 was also the first year for
selection of the David S. Bruce Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate
Research. The Awards recognize excellence in undergraduate research and
honors David S. Bruce (1939-2000) who served as Chair of the APS Teaching
Section and as a professor of physiology at Wheaton College from 1978-2000.
Bruce was a dedicated physiology educator who played active roles in both
the APS and the Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology. As an
undergraduate educator at Wheaton College, Bruce had a particular interest
in engaging undergraduate students in scientific research. He not only
encouraged and supported his students in participating in research, but also
regularly brought undergraduate students to the Experimental Biology meeting
to present their research findings. In 2000, Bruce died at the age of 61 of
complications following a kidney transplant. The David Bruce Award honors
Bruce’s commitment to promoting undergraduate involvement in research, in
the APS annual meeting, and, ultimately, in research careers.
A total of 19 applications were received for this first
year. The Committee selected 12 finalists based on the abstract and a
one-page letter submitted by the undergraduate students. The 12 finalists
each made oral presentations with their posters to a group of Committee
members during the EB meeting. Four awardees were selected. The Committee
members participating noted that all the finalists were very competitive and
deserving of the award based on the quality of the work. Robert Carroll,
Chair of the Education Committee, and Janet Bruce presented certificates to
the eight finalists and certificates and $500 checks to the four awardees
during an award presentation held during the APS Undergraduate Research
Poster session. Based on the response to that special undergraduate poster
session and with more time to announce the award, the Committee is looking
forward to a much larger number of applications for the 2005 David Bruce
Award.
Explorations in Biomedicine 2003 Retreat: In September
2003, a Fall Retreat, “Weeding, Cultivating, and Replanting: Tools for
Growing a Student-Centered Science Curriculum,” was held at Little Big Horn
College in Crow Agency, MT. The retreat focused on resources and strategies
for transforming the curriculum to be more student-centered, that is,
placing the student at the center of teaching and learning. Participants
explored how to transform “cookbook” lessons and labs into ones in which
students develop their own hypotheses and methods and actively explore the
targeted concepts. They also explored how to make their lessons appeal to
those with a wide variety of learning styles and from different cultures.
Participants used tools to not only find outstanding resources on the Web
but also to effectively integrate them into lessons so they enhance
learning. Specifically, the retreat:
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provided tools that can be used by individuals or
groups to review and revise their curricular materials;
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offered opportunities to practice using these tools
in a collaborative group setting; and
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provided tools to help teachers integrate effective
Internet activities in their lessons.
The workshop was led by APS Education Committee members
Walter Ward and Thomas Pressley along with past Summer Research Teachers
Margaret Shain and Sheree Watson. Results of the retreat evaluation were
very positive. Participants were asked on both the entry and exit surveys to
rate their own understanding of topics that were the focus of the Retreat.
Self-ratings increased significantly for participants’ understanding of:
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current recommended science teaching practices
(p<.001);
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identifying activities that do and do not contribute
to a student-centered curriculum (p<.05); and
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recognizing and making the most of students’ cultures
and backgrounds (p<.01).
Collaboration with HAPS: The APS participates in and
supports the annual meeting of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society
(HAPS), an association of physiology educators, primarily from community and
four-year colleges by sponsoring an exhibit, conducting workshops, and
sponsoring a keynote research update speaker. At the June 2004 HAPS meeting
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Paul Kubes, Professor, Departments of
Physiology & Biophysics and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Calgary gave an Update Seminar entitled, “The Inflammatory Response.” Kubes’
presentation was very well-received by the HAPS participants. APS staff
members Marsha Matyas and Melinda Lowy staffed the APS exhibit and presented
the following workshops on creating a student-centered curriculum and using
the APS Archive of Teaching Resources.
K-12 Science Education
At the pre-college level, the APS seeks to improve
science education, stimulate student interest in biomedical research
careers, and promote understanding of the use of animals in research.
APS Summer Research Program for Teachers: The Summer
Research Program continues to work with teachers from across the nation:
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engaging them in biomedical research;
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building connections at the local level between
teachers, students, and researchers;
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improving the teaching methods and curricular
materials used by the teachers; and
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deepening the understanding of both teachers and
students of how biomedical research is done and how animals are used in
research.
The program, now in its 14th year, has funding from
three NIH institutes: NCRR, NIGMS, and NIDDK, in addition to the support
provided by the APS. In addition, an APS member, George Tempel, at the
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), coordinates the participation
of two to four teachers annually in the program. These teachers are
supported by a grant to MUSC from the National Science Foundation. This
diversity of funding sources both serves as an indicator of the success of
the program and contributes to its longevity. In 2004, the program is
supporting 25 teachers from 12 states in an intensive, yearlong professional
development program.
Member support for this program continues to be strong,
with many members volunteering to host teachers in their laboratories,
providing the needed lab materials and supplies for each teacher’s research
and, frequently, providing part of the stipend and travel costs for the
teacher. For example, nearly 60% (N=10) of the APS members who hosted the 17
teachers in their labs last summer contributed not only the lab materials
and supplies that the teachers needed, but also are contributed an average
of $1,320 ($13,200 total) toward their stipends and/or EB travel. For 2004,
nearly 55% (N=14) of the members who will host 26 teachers in their labs
this summer will contribute an average about $1,820 ($25,500 total) toward
stipends and/or EB travel.
In 2002, APS received three additional years of funding
from the NCRR-SEPA program to continue and expand the program, with a
special focus on the development of local site models in physiology
departments, similar to the collaboration with MUSC described above.
Initially, this development and dissemination project will work with APS
members Duanne Proppe and Walter Ward at UTHSC-San Antonio and C. Subah
Packer at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN. Program
activities will include summer research fellowships for teachers, training
and planning meetings for Frontiers Local Site Teams, and professional
development workshops for local teachers that focus on integrating
inquiry-based teaching, equity strategies, and effective integration of
Internet technology in the life sciences classroom.
EB Workshop for Teachers and Students: Education
Committee member Thomas Pressley coordinated the 2004 APS Workshop for High
School Teachers and Students. DC-area teachers and their students attended
the workshop along with APS members, 2003 Frontiers and Explorations
Research Teachers (RTs), graduate students, other awardees, and APS staff
for an approximate total of 150 people. Greg Florant of Colorado State
University presented his research on the physiology of hibernating marmots.
He was followed by a Careers Panel that included APS members Rudy Ortiz,
Gregory Florant, and Jennifer Pluznick. Margaret Shain (Past Research
Teacher) led the career panel discussion. Twenty APS members served as tour
guides during lunch where they took teachers and students through the
exhibits and posters and shared a box lunch while discussing physiology
careers.
The afternoon student session was lead by George Ordway
and a number of APS member volunteers. Students used the “Elvis Experiments”
from the APS “Physiology of Fitness” unit to learn about factors affecting
flow of liquids through tubing (radius, length, viscosity). While students
were conducting their experiments, their teachers (as well as the 2003
Research Teachers) participated in a workshop focusing on nutrition,
diabetes, and the sense of taste. Diane Ford (2003 Explorations Research
Teacher) modeled her “Dietary Decisions” lab, which uses nutrition labels to
create a menu for a diabetic and non-diabetic persons. Also Marsha Matyas
and Melissa Gildehaus (2004 Frontiers Research Teacher) presented the
Project WISE Taste Lab, an exploration of the anatomy and physiology of the
sense of taste. As in the past, feedback from both teachers and students was
very positive and students were especially excited to meet physiologists
one-on-one.
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Awards: The Intel ISEF brings together over 1,200 students from 41 nations
to compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field
trips and the grand prize: a trip to attend the Nobel Prize Ceremonies in
Stockholm, Sweden. The 55th Annual International Science and Engineering
Fair was held in Portland, OR in May 2004. Special Awards were given by 93
scientific, professional, industrial, educational, and governmental
organizations in the form of scholarships, tuition grants, summer
internships, scientific field trips, and equipment grants. The APS
participates as a Special Awards Sponsor for ISEF, recognizing outstanding
high school research projects in the physiological sciences, including
cellular physiology, animal physiology, and neurophysiology. Four students
received cash awards ($1,000 First Prize, $500 Second, Third, Fourth Place),
T-shirts, and a year’s subscription to NIPS and The Physiologist.
APS is one of only seven biomedical research organizations that give awards
to students from among 63 organizations making special awards.
Summary and Conclusions
The Education Committee is meeting the objectives laid
out in the 2000 Strategic Plan, with significant activities supporting each
of the Plan’s objectives. I would like to thank Council for their support.
Our activities would be impossible without the expert leadership of Marsha
Matyas and her staff in the APS Education Office. Many members of Council
interact with the Higher Education Coordinator Melinda Lowy, as she directs
programs related to undergraduate, graduate, and medical education. Kathleen
Kelly manages the Education Committee outreach activities in the K-12
environment, which increase the vitality and perception of physiology.
Brooke Bruthers coordinates all meetings, travel, and exhibits for all
Education programs.
I especially thank the Education Committee and the APS
members who have helped with the many projects, and invite anyone with an
interest in physiology education to contact me and to join the fun.
Rob Carroll, Chair
Council Actions
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Council accepted the report of the Education
Committee.
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Council authorized $60,000 for summer research
fellowships for high school and middle school science teachers for 2005.
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