Helping students learn veterinary physiology through the use of concept maps

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Physiology Instruction
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Concept maps are widely used educational tools for organizing information and illustrating relationships between concepts.
• They provide a graphical overview of a topic, enhancing comprehension.
• Concept mapping has become a significant pedagogical approach in science education over the past two decades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the application of concept maps for teaching physiology.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of concept maps in veterinary medical and veterinary technician programs.
• To demonstrate the utility of concept maps in diverse learning environments, including distance learning.

Main Methods:

• Concept maps were utilized as a primary tool for instruction in physiology courses.
• The methodology involved organizing physiological concepts and their interrelationships graphically.
• Implementation occurred across both on-campus and distance-learning veterinary programs.

Main Results:

• Concept maps facilitated the organization of complex physiological information for students.
• The graphical representation aided in understanding the interconnectedness of physiological systems.
• The approach proved adaptable to different learning modalities.

Conclusions:

• Concept mapping is a valuable pedagogical strategy for teaching complex scientific subjects like physiology.
• This method enhances student understanding of key concepts and their relationships.
• Concept maps are effective tools for both traditional and distance-learning veterinary education.