Undergraduate Designed Investigations in the Human Physiology Laboratory

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2014, Volume 35

Karen A. McMahon

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)