Unraveling the enigma of digestion: a digital educational activity as a tool for teaching digestive system physiology

Human physiology is challenging for undergraduates due to its abstract nature. The summer course "Human Physiology: Practicing and Discussing Physiology" offered by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo has fostered innovative teaching strategies for over two decades. In 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was offered remotely, requiring adaptation of practical activities to a virtual environment. We developed a virtual didactic activity called "Unraveling the Enigma of Digestion: Digital Marathon" using Google Forms integrated with social media. Designed as a board-game-like experience, each stage involved online games, storytelling, puzzles, crosswords, and interactions with fictional characters, addressing macronutrient digestion and absorption. Progression required applying concepts from classes. This report describes the structure and implementation of the digital marathon in a remote teaching context. The proposed approach represents a flexible and low-cost strategy to support engagement and active learning in remote or hybrid physiology teaching.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We present a novel teaching approach in the form of an innovative digital marathon that integrates active learning strategies with widely accessible social media platforms to support the remote teaching of digestive system physiology. This approach illustrates how interactive, low-cost digital tools can be structured to facilitate engagement and discussion of theoretical content in virtual or hybrid learning environments.