1. Using Conceptual Frameworks in Teaching & Learning Physiology
Jenny McFarland, PhD
Edmonds Community College
APS-ITL Workshop 22 June 2016, Madison WI
Supported by NSF grant DUE

2. Outline Background – Lessons from …
How People Learn
Backwards Design
What are the core concepts in biology & physiology?
What are Conceptual Frameworks?
Three Conceptual Frameworks
Flow down gradients (Flux)
Homeostasis
Cell-cell communications
Role for Conceptual Frameworks in helping students learn and helping faculty teach?
What other conceptual frameworks should be ‘unpacked’ and validated?

3. Core Concepts in Physiology
This work has been done as part of our Conceptual Assessment for Physiology project. It has involved contributions by physiology and A&P faculty at community colleges, liberal arts institutions, research universities and medical schools.
The CAP (Conceptual Assessment for Physiology) project team has been working together for several years.
Mary Pat Wenderoth (University of Washington – Seattle)
Ann Wright (Canisius College)
Bill Cliff (Niagara University)
Harold Modell (Bastyr University)
Joel Michael (Rush Medical School)
Jenny McFarland (Edmonds Community College)
physiologyconcepts.org
This work is aligned with the recommendations of Vision & Change and the work of PULSE (the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education).
This work has been supported by NSF grant DUE

4. How People Learn Three major findings:
Address student’s preconceptions.
(prior knowledge & misconceptions)
2. Build BOTH a deep foundation of factual knowledge & strong conceptual framework.
3. Enhance student’s ability to monitor their learning.
(metacognition and self-assessment)
National Research Council 1999

5. What is Backwards Design?
Think – Pair - Share
5 minutes

6. Backward Design What should your students be able to
DO at end of class?
LEARNING
OUTCOME
What evidence do you collect to show that they can DO it?
ASSESSMENT
What practice do you design to help them gain skill?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Understanding by Design
Wiggins and McTighe 1998

7. Backward Design What should your students be able to
DO at end of class?
Core Concepts & Conceptual Framework
What evidence do you collect to show that they can DO it?
Concept Inventory
Misconceptions
What practice do you design to help them gain skill?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Wiggins and McTighe 1998

8. What is are the Core Concepts in Biology? in Physiology
List– Pair - Share
5 minutes

9. Core Concepts in Biology (V&C)
The Vision & Change report identified 5 core concepts for undergraduate biology
Evolution
Structure and Function
Pathways and transformations of energy and matter
Information flow, exchange and storage
Systems: Living systems are interconnected and interacting
AAAS 2011

10. Physiology General Models
Harold Modell described 7 general models for analyzing physiological mechanisms in his 2000 paper in Advances in Physiology Education.
Control systems
Conservation of mass
Mass & heat flow (Flux or “flow down gradients”)
Elastic properties of tissues
Transport across membranes
Cell-to-cell communication
Molecular interaction
Modell 2000

11. Physiology Core Concepts
Physiology core concepts identified from physiology faculty surveys
Homeostasis
Cell-Cell Communications
Flow Down Gradients
Structure / Function
Mass Balance
Levels of Organization
Energy
Cell Membrane
& others … 15 total
Michael and McFarland 2011

12. What are Conceptual Frameworks?
Define/Describe – Pair - Share
5 minutes

13. Conceptual Framework Conceptual Frameworks are
Hierarchical & Descriptive
Often in outline format
Can be scaffolded by adding constituent ideas to critical components in the hierarchical framework
Describes an appropriate scope of understanding for a particular stage on the novice to expert progression

14. Conceptual Framework We have developed 3 conceptual frameworks Steps:
Flow down gradients (Flux)
Homeostasis
Cell-cell communications
physiologyconcepts.org
Steps:
“unpack” core concept
feedback from faculty on our team & via workshops & surveys
rewrite &
validate on “importance” to faculty via surveys

15. Homeostasis Conceptual Framework
Overview: Organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment while living in a changing external environment. This process involves a negative feedback system that requires a sensor(s), a controller (integrator) and effector(s). H1. The organism maintains a stable internal environment in the face of fluctuating external environment. H2. A substantial change to a regulated variable (a perturbation) will result in a physiological response to restore it toward to its normal range. H3. Homeostatic processes require a sensor inside the body (“what can’t be measured can’t be regulated”) H4. Homeostatic processes require a control center (which includes an integrator). H5. Homeostatic processes require target organs or tissues, i.e. “effectors”.

16. Conceptual Framework – negative feedback
H2. A substantial change to a regulated variable (a perturbation) will result in a physiological response to restore it toward to its normal range. H2.1 The regulated variable is held stable by a negative feedback system. H2.2 Not all negative feedback systems are homeostatic. H2.3 The process of responding to a perturbation requires an action by a sensor, a control center and an effector (the components of a negative feedback system). H2.4 The sensor, control center, and effectors may be physically far from or near to each other in the body, and can even exist in the same cell.

17. Conceptual Framework – sensors
H3. Homeostatic processes require a sensor inside the body (“what can’t be measured can’t be regulated”) H3.1 Sensors detect the regulated variable and respond by transducing that stimulus into a different signal. H3.2 Sensors respond within a limited range of stimulus values. H3.3. Sensors generate an output whose value is proportional to the magnitude of the input to the sensor (i.e. the stimulus). H3.4 Sensors are constantly active (not just active when the regulated variable is not at the set point value). H3.5 An organ system may employ a variety of types of sensors (e.g. chemoreceptors, baroreceptors, mechanoreceptors, etc.) to regulate variables associated with that organ system.

18. How can Conceptual Framework be useful
For student learning? What can students do?
For faculty in a course? What can faculty do?
For departments and curriculum &/or programs? What academics organizations (programs, depts) do?
Think – Pair - Share

19. A conceptual framework can
HELP DEFINE AND EXPLAIN THE DISCIPLINE
provides a hierarchical organizational structure of ideas
reveals connections between provides a scaffold to make new connections as more complex ideas are introduced
integrates understanding of interactions among core concepts
HELP STUDENTS LEARN THE DISCIPLINE
provides an important teaching and learning tool when the goal of learning is to use information rather than rote learning a list of facts as it gives a context and structure for the student
makes explicit the tacit knowledge, underlying assumptions of experts (faculty) so that novices (students) can make sense of them
HELP THE INSTRUCTOR ORGANIZE A COURSE
allows for development of a learning progression: a lower level or simpler framework for an introductory course,
inform and direct course, curriculum and program design

20. “Alternative conceptions” or “Misconceptions”
Alternative conceptions, naïve conceptions, common-sense understanding or misconceptions that are obstacles to student learning.
a scientifically inaccurate belief about a scientific concept (homeostasis, in this case).
These scientifically inaccurate beliefs may occur before and persist after instruction.
Assessments to reveal misconceptions are can help address obstacles to students’ conceptual understanding.
Effective learning activities must address student’s alternative conceptions / misconceptions.

21. Use conceptual framework to design learning opportunity
Identify a ‘unit’ (a single class, topic, chapter …) that you ‘teach’ often that is particularly “content driven”.
Imagine that you were designing this instructional unit focused understanding, application & assessment of one core concept (and integrating enough “content coverage” for students to learn the concept).
How would you use a conceptual framework (and knowledge of student misconceptions) to design effective active learning and assessment?

22. Which Conceptual Frameworks would be helpful to do next?
Physiology core concepts
Homeostasis
Cell-Cell Communications
Flow Down Gradients
Structure / Function
Mass Balance
Levels of Organization
Energy
Cell Membrane
Interdependence
Other?
Think – Pair - Share
Michael and McFarland 2011

23. Our group’s work on homeostasis
Other homeostasis projects:
A Physiologist’s View of Homeostasis: Modell et al (Dec). Recommendations about how to teach homeostasis.
Recommended diagram / model for undergraduate physiology
Definition of terms (and recommendations)
List of homeostatically regulated variables
Homeostasis conceptual framework (HCF): McFarland et al (June).
We have a concept inventory for homeostasis (HCI) with 20 MCQs that assess aspects of our conceptual framework for homeostasis. (paper in progress) You can use the HCI for pretest or post-test for your courses by contacting me
We have gathered and organized student misconceptions (alternative conceptions) regarding homeostasis. (paper in progress)

24. Acknowledgements
The CAP (Conceptual Assessment for Physiology) project team:
Mary Pat Wenderoth (University of Washington – Seattle)
Ann Wright (Canisius College)
Bill Cliff (Niagara University)
Harold Modell (Bastyr University)
Joel Michael (Rush Medical School)
The many physiology faculty who have responded to our surveys, participated in our workshops, come to our posters and talks. We are grateful to your continued support for this project.
The students, who have responded to our questions, participated in interviews and who inspire us.
This work has been supported by NSF grant DUE

25. References
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action, Washington, DC: AAAS.
Association of American Medical Colleges Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians. Washington, DC: AAMC.
McFarland, J., Wenderoth, M.P., Michael, J., Cliff, W., Wright, A. and Modell, H A conceptual framework for homeostasis: development and validation. Advances in Physiology Education. 25:
Michael, J. and McFarland, J The core principles (“big ideas”) of physiology: results of faculty surveys. Advances in Physiology Education. 25:
Michael, J.,Martinkova, P., McFarland, J., Wright, A. Cliff, W., Modell, H. and Wenderoth, M.P., (in review). Validating a conceptual framework for the core concept of “cell-cell communications”
Modell, H.I How to help students understand physiology? Emphasize general models. Biochemistry and Advances in Physiology Education. 23:
Modell, H, Cliff, W., Michael, J., McFarland, J., Wenderoth, M.P. and Wright, A A physiologist’s view of homeostasis. Advances in Physiology Education. 23:
National Research Council (NRC) How people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school, expanded edition. Bransford J. D., Brown A. L., Cocking R. R., editors. National Academies Press; Washington, DC.
Wiggins G, McTighe J Understanding by Design, Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

26. Thank you for your time and participation.

27. Some Homeostasis Misconceptions
Negative feedback is bad, while positive is better for the body.
Negative feedback means less.
Distance matters; sensors & controllers must be close to each other.
The sensor and effector are always in different locations.
If a variable doesn’t change, then it must be regulated.
Only variables held absolutely constant are regulated.
Any variable that changes is regulated.
Only one variable is controlled at a time.
Regulatory mechanisms are "on" or "off”, like a light switch.
The body's interior is static, not dynamic.
The set-point is discrete rather than a range of values.
The controller or integrator is always in the nervous system.

28. 5. MC questions addressing conceptual framework
Idea II.A. is essential (5/5) & relatively easier to understand (3.29/5).
“The regulated variable is held stable by a negative feedback system.”
In organisms, like humans, negative feedback mechanisms results in A. an unfavorable, or damaging effect on the body. B. a constant decrease in the regulated variable. C. equilibrium amongst body cells and fluids. D. maintaining an internal variable within a ‘normal’ range of values.
Idea III is important (4.67/5) & relatively difficult to understand (2.86/5).
“Homeostatic processes require a sensor inside the body …”
2. The body has a sensor that measures blood pressure, but does not have a sensor that can measure heart rate. Which of the following are held more or less constant even when the internal or external environment changes? A. heart rate B. blood pressure C. both D. neither