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Beyond the printed page: physiology education without a textbook?
Stasinos Stavrianeas1, Mark Stewart, Peter Harmer
1Department of Exercise Science, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon 97301, USA. stas@willamette.edu
Advances in Physiology Education
|March 13, 2008
Summary
Students in a Human Physiology course preferred online resources over textbooks for muscle physiology, appreciating the varied materials and concept focus. However, they were hesitant to completely abandon traditional textbooks.
Area of Science:
- Physiology Education
- Medical Education
- Pedagogical Innovation
Background:
- Professional organizations encourage pedagogical innovations in physiology education.
- Discussions on enhancing student learning occur at conferences and in journals like Advance in Physiological Education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of freely available internet-based materials as a textbook substitute for a muscle physiology chapter.
- To gauge student reactions to a textbookless curriculum in a Human Physiology course.
Main Methods:
- A sophomore-level Human Physiology course utilized online resources instead of a textbook for one chapter.
- Student feedback was collected via a questionnaire to assess their experience.
Main Results:
- Students positively received the online materials, including animations, images, and reviews.
- Learners appreciated the focus on key concepts and the diversity of available resources.
- Students overwhelmingly praised the pedagogical approach but expressed reluctance to give up textbooks entirely.
Conclusions:
- Freely available online materials offer a promising alternative to traditional textbooks in physiology education.
- Further course iterations may improve the transition to a textbook-free learning experience.
- Reducing reliance on costly textbooks through online resources can alleviate student financial burdens.
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