Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner

The learning outcome of a physics laboratory course for medical students was examined in an interdisciplinary field study and discussed for the electrical physiology (“Propagation of Excitation and Nerve Cells”). At the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (LMU) at a time about 300 medicine stude...

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Main Authors: Michael Plomer, Karsten Jessen, Georgi Rangelov, Michael Meyer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2010-09-01
Series:Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.6.020116
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author Michael Plomer
Karsten Jessen
Georgi Rangelov
Michael Meyer
author_facet Michael Plomer
Karsten Jessen
Georgi Rangelov
Michael Meyer
author_sort Michael Plomer
collection DOAJ
description The learning outcome of a physics laboratory course for medical students was examined in an interdisciplinary field study and discussed for the electrical physiology (“Propagation of Excitation and Nerve Cells”). At the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (LMU) at a time about 300 medicine students were assessed in two successive years. Students from the control group worked with standard experiments, while students from the treatment group performed newly developed “addressee-specific” experiments, designed to guide students to transfer physics knowledge to physiological problems. The assessment took place within the laboratory course on physiology, after the students had finished their laboratory classes in physics, and consisted of the construction of a concept map with additional multiple choice questions. The results showed that standard physics experiments are not adequate for teaching students to transfer physical principles to physiology. Introducing new addressee-specific experiments enriched the physics laboratory course by improving student attitudes toward physics and demonstrating better ability of students to relate concepts of physics and medicine, and overall to improve their understanding of the physics taught in the course.
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spelling doaj.art-3934230526734037b4f6cd6c4266bc322022-12-21T19:20:39ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research1554-91782010-09-016202011610.1103/PhysRevSTPER.6.020116Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful mannerMichael PlomerKarsten JessenGeorgi RangelovMichael MeyerThe learning outcome of a physics laboratory course for medical students was examined in an interdisciplinary field study and discussed for the electrical physiology (“Propagation of Excitation and Nerve Cells”). At the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (LMU) at a time about 300 medicine students were assessed in two successive years. Students from the control group worked with standard experiments, while students from the treatment group performed newly developed “addressee-specific” experiments, designed to guide students to transfer physics knowledge to physiological problems. The assessment took place within the laboratory course on physiology, after the students had finished their laboratory classes in physics, and consisted of the construction of a concept map with additional multiple choice questions. The results showed that standard physics experiments are not adequate for teaching students to transfer physical principles to physiology. Introducing new addressee-specific experiments enriched the physics laboratory course by improving student attitudes toward physics and demonstrating better ability of students to relate concepts of physics and medicine, and overall to improve their understanding of the physics taught in the course.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.6.020116
spellingShingle Michael Plomer
Karsten Jessen
Georgi Rangelov
Michael Meyer
Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research
title Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
title_full Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
title_fullStr Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
title_full_unstemmed Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
title_short Teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
title_sort teaching physics in a physiologically meaningful manner
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.6.020116
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AT michaelmeyer teachingphysicsinaphysiologicallymeaningfulmanner