For the first time in 20 years, the Physiological Society’s annual meeting returned to Aberdeen, and the ‘granite city’ provided an excellent venue for the event. Of the 18 symposia delivered on 8–10 July 2019, a substantial proportion focused on the teaching of physiology. This education showcase demonstrated the enthusiasm and innovation of the membership for training the next generation of physiologists. The local organising committee of Dr Guy Bewick and Professor Derek Scott succeeded in integrating the education strand with the other focal strands to develop consideration and conversation about how to deliver education and training to an increasingly large and more diverse student population. The teaching-dedicated Otto Hutter Prize Lecture, daily symposia and poster sessions, combined with professional development sessions involving key educational software providers, meant educators were infused with ideas, suggestions, and innovations and provided with the platforms to deliver them!
Across the different symposia, three key themes emerged.
Practical approaches
Several talks and posters focused on ways in which practical teaching can be delivered effectively: an ever-present challenge across the sector! Some focused on technological solutions and the use of online simulations, whereas the renowned Dee Silverthorn (University of Texas) talked in depth about the value of simple plant and invertebrate systems as a means of demonstrating aspects of experimental design. Julia Choate, of Monash University (see left-hand image, below), talked about a different aspect of ‘practical’ delivery: enabling the teaching of large numbers of students effectively, whether in the laboratory or in non-lab environments. At Monash, they have removed lecture theatres entirely, yet deliver an effective physiology curriculum to over 700 students across all years and five BSc degree disciplines. In the lab, as well as in virtual experiments, they employ an inquiry-based, practical approach.
Online strategies
The education symposia also featured talks on approaches to online education. Some considered the positive effect of measuring student engagement on outcomes and the use of learner analytics to support this. Others described the ‘gamification’ of learning activities, considering not only their successes, but the way in which students perceived them. A strong theme emerging from the education presentations was the use of videos to engage students within a ‘pre’ and ‘post’ lab setting, but also as a way of demonstrating procedures and aspects which otherwise would be inaccessible.
Benchmarking
The final emerging educational theme related to benchmarking, and the tailoring of physiological curricula to the vast array of learners that need to engage with it. Several talks and posters evidenced the use of benchmarks or supported curricular guidance as a vehicle for validating or designing modules for specific physiology cohorts. There were also examples of curricula that were designed by close consultation between professionals and students to find and maintain a balance and degree of stratification that personalised the education experience for the very different cohorts that engage. A strong move away from one physiological curriculum fits all!
The event was lively throughout and, as an educator, I felt the focus on education and training was superb. The themes that emerged were relevant and informative in terms of the challenges faced in our roles. Indeed, Physiology 2019 left me stimulated, and excited about the new opportunities for in depth collaboration. Furthermore I feel more than equipped to move forward and address the challenges of University education in the 21st century! Thanks to Guy Bewick and Derek Scott for their work in helping achieve this!
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