1. Edmonds Community College
Physiology Core Concepts in the Curriculum: aligning concepts, conceptual frameworks & assessments
Jenny McFarland, PhD
Edmonds Community College
P-MIG Conference
28 June 2018, Tucson AZ
DUE

2. Conceptual Assessment for Physiology Team
This work was part of our Conceptual Assessment for Physiology project (supported by NSF grant DUE ); see physiologyconcepts.org. It has involved contributions by physiology and A&P faculty at community colleges, liberal arts institutions, regional comprehensive & research universities and medical schools.
The CAP (Conceptual Assessment for Physiology) project team has been working together for the past 6 years.
Joel Michael (Rush Medical School)
Harold Modell (Physiology Educational Research Consortium, PERC)
Mary Pat Wenderoth (University of Washington – Seattle)
Bill Cliff (Niagara University)
Jenny McFarland (Edmonds Community College)
the late Ann Wright (Canisius College)
It is also aligned with the recommendations of Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians (SFFP), Vision & Change (V&C) and the work of PULSE (the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education).

3. How have you changed your teaching?
“Thinking about your [] teaching career over the years, what would you say are the big directions of change in your teaching, if any, and what has caused you to move in those directions?”
add photo of Cathy’s Book
Beyer et al 2013

4. Learning “Its what you learn after you know it all that matters most.”
“We must get our players to believe that the best way to improve the team is to improve themselves, and in doing so we must not lose sight of the fact that the same principle holds true in regard to the coach.”
Robin says to say that I played basketball (2 years in college at the athletic powerhouse college – MIT) and coached MS girls in grad school and grade school girls in when my daughter was young.
Nate & Gallimore 2006

5. What have you learned recently?
What have you learned about learning in the last year?
“Its what you learn after you know it all that matters most.”
Office hours this week: “I am frustrated that you won’t ever answer my questions.”
One of my students taught me, again, that I need to be clearer that I will help them find answers to their questions and to reassure them that they will leave with something resembling an answer.
Nate & Gallimore 2006

6. “Not just a pile of facts” EB symposium 2016
Pile of Stones, Hatterall Ridge (border of Wales & England in UK)

7. Not just a pile of facts ...
“Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house.” – Henri Poincaré
Facts are important,
but like stones, we must
first understand the
framework in which the
facts will be used.
Teaching and learning for
conceptual understanding
requires a framework
within which the facts
can be organized to serve
specific conceptual
learning goals.
La Science et l'Hypothèse (2001), English translation: Science and Hypothesis (1905), Dover abridged edition (1952)

8. What do we want our students to be able to do?
What do we want our students to be able to do & what will they need to know to be able to do this?

9. What do we want our students to be able to do?
What do we want our students to be able to do & what will they need to know to be able to do this?
Reflection: Are there things we ask students to know which are not necessary in helping them do what we are asking them to do?
Identify one or two ‘facts’ that you currently teach, that can be “unloaded” for cell phones to hold.

10. Core Concepts – for Teaching & Learning
Identify Core Concepts & Competencies
Unpack into Conceptual Frameworks
Identify Misconceptions
Describe Student Learning Progressions
Conceptual Assessment of Core Concepts
Aligning Instruction with Assessment & Concepts

11. Core Concepts – for Teaching & Learning
Identify Core Concepts & Competencies
Unpack into Conceptual Frameworks
Identify Misconceptions
Describe Student Learning Progressions
Conceptual Assessment of Core Concepts
Aligning Instruction with Assessment & Concepts
Departmental Transformation
I will briefly address this processes in this talk

12. What are Core Concepts in Biology & Physiology?
Core Concepts, Enduring Understandings, General Models, Big Ideas … are what we want students to understand and be able to apply long after they leave our courses.
Core Concepts & Backwards Design
Understanding and being able to use Core Concepts … should be the learning outcomes that guide teaching, learning and program design.

13. Core Concepts in Biology (Vision & Change)
The Vision & Change report identified 5 core concepts for undergraduate biology.
What are the 5 core concepts, in Vision & Change?
AAAS 2011

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

15. Core Competencies for Medicine
The Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians (SFFP) report identified competencies for Medical School and Pre-med preparation.
Homeostasis: E7, Explain how organisms sense and control their internal environment and how they respond to external change.
Evolution: E8, Demonstrate an understanding of how the organizing principle of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on earth.
These are common core concepts among our Physiology Core Concepts, Vision & Change Core Concepts & SFFP Core Competencies.
AAMC 2009

16. Physiology General Models
Harold Modell described 7 general models for analyzing physiological mechanisms
Control systems (including homeostasis)
Cell-to-cell communication
Mass & heat flow (Flux or “flow down gradients”)
Transport across membranes
Conservation of mass (‘mass balance’)
Elastic properties of tissues
Molecular interaction
Modell 2000

17. Physiology Core Concepts
Physiology core concepts identified from physiology faculty surveys
Homeostasis
Cell Theory
Flow Down Gradients
Scientific Reasoning
Physics/Chemistry
Cell-Cell Communication
Genes to Proteins
Cell Membrane
Levels of Organization
Mass Balance
Causality
Interdependence
Evolution
Energy
Structure/Function ...
Michael and McFarland 2011

18. Physiology Core Concepts (P-MIG survey)
P-MIG Survey June 2018

19. Physiology Core Concepts
Physiology core concepts identified from physiology faculty surveys
Homeostasis
Cell Theory
Flow Down Gradients
Scientific Reasoning
Physics/Chemistry
Cell-Cell Communication
Genes to Proteins
Cell Membrane
Levels of Organization
Mass Balance
Causality
Interdependence
Evolution
Energy
Structure/Function ...
Michael et al. 2017

20. Physiology Core Concepts
Published on behalf of The American Physiological Society by Springer.
APS members can download free!
Michael et al. 2017

21. Like-minded Colleagues
Find “like-minded colleagues to form a team willing to work on improving classroom teaching and learning.” – John Wooden
Foster a community of transformation in physiology education.
Nate & Gallimore 2006

22. Physiology Education Community
Our 2014 Annual Report updated our project goals to the following:
Unpack and validate a Conceptual Framework for Homeostasis.
Construct and validate a Homeostasis Concept Inventory.
Foster a community of physiology faculty from diverse institutions interested in testing the Homeostasis Concept Inventory, and to grow this community to continue to build on the core concepts and frameworks, to transform physiology teaching and learning toward a concept-driven approach (instead of content-driven).
NSF DUE Final Report, 2015

23. Physiology Education Community
A critical, intentional broader impact of our project was and continues to be
to transform undergraduate physiology education by building an international community of faculty using teaching resources based on physiology core concepts and
to support faculty who employ concept-based teaching to help their students move from naive understanding to expert thinking.
NSF DUE Final Report, 2015

24. PECOP, APS-ITL, HAPS, SABER
We recruited like-minded physiology colleagues from
Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS)
American Physiological Society (APS) Teaching Section
International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS)
Northwest Biology Instructors Organization (NWBio)
We have participated in
PECOP – Physiology-Education-Community-of-Practice
APS-ITL – Institute on Teaching and Learning (2014, 2016)
SABER – Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research
More than 200 physiology faculty have helped us in our work to identify core concepts, unpack these into conceptual frameworks and test the homeostasis concept inventory.
Through surveys, workshops, poster sessions, talks ...

25. How can we help students acquire factual knowledge AND conceptual understanding?
The “Pile of Facts” approach:
Physiology has been traditionally taught using a textbook as a scaffold.
Instructor marches through the chapters, organized by organ system, with students in tow.
Traditional instructional paradigm: explanation of the physiological function of anatomical structures.
New paradigm: use core concepts and a framework to scaffold conceptual understanding.

26. What are Conceptual Frameworks?
Conceptual Frameworks were mentioned in the NRC report “How People Learn” in There is no explanation or definition in that report. What are Conceptual Frameworks?
NCR, How People Learn, 2000

27. What are Conceptual Frameworks?
Core concepts can be “unpacked” to form conceptual frameworks.
A conceptual framework
is a hierarchical structure of a core concept,
that “unpacks” a concept into constituent ideas,
organizes knowledge and general principles,
makes explicit tacit knowledge & assumptions,
builds connections to prior knowledge, and
enables development of conceptual understanding.
McFarland et al. 2016

28. Conceptual Frameworks for Physiology
We have “unpacked” three of the most important physiology core concepts into conceptual frameworks. & two more are in progress:
Flow down gradients (flux) – Michael & McFarland 2011
Homeostasis – McFarland et al. 2016
Cell-Cell Communication – Michael et al. 2017
Mass Balance– Modell & Michael– EB 2018 poster
Cell Membrane – Michael & Modell –EB 2018 poster
Please help by us “unpack” Mass Balance & Cell Membrane by completing the surveys of these drafts of the conceptual frameworks at
QR code on card or piece of paper ...
T A Conceptual Framework for the Core Concept of Mass Balance. H.I. Modell, J.A. Michael. Physiology Educational Research Consortium, Rush Medical College and Rush University.
T A Conceptual Framework for the Core Concept of Cell Membrane. J. Michael, H. Modell. Rush Medical College, Rush University and Physiology Educational Research Consortium.
physiologyconcepts.org

29. Flux Conceptual Framework
Flow is the movement of “stuff” from one point in a system to another point in the system .
Flow occurs because of the existence of an energy gradient between two points in the system.
More than one gradient may determine the magnitude and direction of the flow
A. Osmotic (concentration gradient) and hydrostatic pressures together determine flow across capillary walls.
B. Concentration gradients and electrical gradients determine ion flow through channels in cell membranes of neurons and muscle cells.
The magnitude of the flow is a direct function of the magnitude of the energy gradient that is present; the larger the gradient, the greater the flow.
There is resistance or opposition to flow in all systems.
Michael & McFarland 2011

30. Using Conceptual Frameworks?
How can conceptual frameworks be used in teaching and learning?

31. Using Conceptual Frameworks
Scaffold teaching and learning of concepts, for instructors and students
Guide teaching and learning so that factual knowledge can be introduced to support conceptual understanding.
Aligning assessments with frameworks, e.g. are their opportunities for formative assessment of “More than one gradient may determine the magnitude and direction of the flow”

32. Conceptual Frameworks can be used
By Departments
to direct physiology course design
for curriculum mapping of concepts thru several courses
By Instructors to
reveal connections between core concepts and ideas
uncover assumptions & experts’ tacit knowledge explicit
align learning outcomes with assessments & instruction
By Students to
construct accurate & complete mental models of concepts
to scaffold their understanding of core concepts as they move thru the curriculum, to build on lower level courses
McFarland et al. 2016

33. Homeostasis Products
A physiologist’s view of homeostasis (Modell et al. 2015, APE)
Recommended diagram / model for undergraduate physiology
Definition of terms (and recommendations)
List of homeostatically regulated variables
Homeostasis conceptual framework (HCF) (McFarland et al. 2017, APE). Some of our physiology conceptual frameworks are at
We have a concept inventory for homeostasis (HCI) with 20 MCQs that assess aspects of our conceptual framework for homeostasis. (McFarland et al. 2017, CBE LSE) 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)

34. Homeostasis Textbooks & Teaching
Terminology is often inconsistent within and across textbooks
Table 2 contains definitions of terms (and recommendations)
A limited set of variables are homeostatically regulated
Table 1 contains a list of homeostatically regulated variables that appropriate for undergraduate physiology (and A&P)
Modell et al. 2015

35. Homeostasis Terms
Modell et al. 2015

36. Homeostatic Variables
A limited set of variables are homeostatically regulated Table 1
Modell et al. 2015

37. Homeostasis Teaching Questions
Table 3 contains essential questions for undergraduate student learning regarding homeostatic systems.
Modell et al. 2015

38. Sticky Points – conceptual difficulties
The phenomenon in question is a complex one
There are aspects of the phenomenon that are counterintuitive.
The language or terminology used to describe the phenomenon or concept is inconsistent.
The disciplines understanding of the phenomenon is uncertain or incomplete.
There are a number of sticky points on (pages ) – targets for formative and summative assessment.
Are all negative feedback systems homeostatic?
Do homeostatic mechanisms operate like an on/off switch?
What is the difference between an effector and a physiological response?
Modell et al. 2015

39. PULSE Ambassador Program
Ambassadors will facilitate a dialog to foster visioning, collaboration, and synergy with the explicit goal of supporting departmental faculty in their implementation of the recommendations of Vision & Change: A Call to Action. Handout
navigating change
Supported by NSF RCN UBE:

40. PULSE Ambassador visits
Goals of Ambassador visit / workshop
Engage each department in critical dialog about its faculty’s vision for the implementation of V&C recommendations
Engage department in setting goals for transformation over time, using an organizational change framework
Connect the department’s faculty with key resources
Logistical framework
Three days
Two overnights
Ambassador travel and workshop costs are funded by an NSF RCN-UBE grant (food and lodging costs negotiated with departments).

41. PULSE Ambassador visit Outcomes
Short-term
Development of a shared departmental vision
Facilitative leadership and communication tools
Identification of barriers and their ownership
Development of an action plan to address barriers and progress to achieve vision
Long-term
Implementation of action plan; progress towards vision
Awareness & use of PULSE & other resources
Implementation of Vision and Change recommendations
Institutional commitment

42. Learning Progressions for Physiology Concepts
Jennifer Doherty, Emily Scott, Jack Cerchiara & Mary Pat Wenderoth at University of Washington Seattle are characterizing Learning Progressions for Undergraduate Physiology (LeaP UP) for two core concepts:
Mass Balance
Flux

43. What is a Learning Progression?
Learning progressions are descriptions of successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about a topic.
They are anchored on one end by what we know about student reasoning upon entering our programs: This “lower anchor” is empirical.
And are anchored on the other end by what we want students to understand when they graduate: This “upper anchor” is based on expert judgement.
To do this we are going to build a learning progression. A learning progression includes:
A learning progression framework, describing levels of achievement.
Learning progressions are descriptions of successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about a topic
They are anchored on one end by what we know about student reasoning upon entering our programs: This “lower anchor” is empirical!
And are anchored on the other end by what we want students to understand when they graduate: This “upper anchor” is based on expert judgement!
Assessment tools that reveal students’ reasoning
Teaching tools and strategies that help students make transitions from one level to the next
You need 1 and 2 for 3, so we’re starting with 1 and 2.
Doherty J. et al. SABER West 2018

44. What is a Learning Progression?
Learning Progression Framework
Assessment Tools
Teaching Tools and Strategies
Lower Anchor
Intermediate Level
Upper Anchor
Conceptual Framework, physiology faculty
To do this we are going to build a learning progression. A learning progression includes:
A learning progression framework, describing levels of achievement.
Learning progressions are descriptions of successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about a topic
They are anchored on one end by what we know about student reasoning upon entering our programs: This “lower anchor” is empirical!
And are anchored on the other end by what we want students to understand when they graduate: This “upper anchor” is based on expert judgement!
Assessment tools that reveal students’ reasoning
Teaching tools and strategies that help students make transitions from one level to the next
You need 1 and 2 for 3, so we’re starting with 1 and 2.
Next year this team will be asking for your help to get
more undergraduate student responses to characterize intermediate levels
graduate/professional student responses for upper anchor
Doherty J. et al. SABER West 2018

45. Leaning Progression Framework
Developing an Undergraduate LP Framework
Leaning Progression Framework
General Level Descriptions 5
Principle-based reasoning with full consideration of the interacting components and threshold values 4
Principle-based reasoning with consideration of the interacting components 3
Principle-based reasoning using individual components 2
Begin using principle-based reasoning but with errors 1
Students provide storytelling, script-like, or non-mechanistic (e.g., teleological) explanations
Doherty et al found that storytelling, script-like explanations and non-mechanistic explanations, seemed to cooccur, so they collapsed those levels.
Levels 3 and 4 become 2 and 3.
They also found that our old level 5 could actually be broken down into two distinct levels of reasoning. A new level 4, where students consider all the gradient and R together but who do not use contraints or threshold values, and a more sophisticated level 5, where students started using constraints and threshold values
Doherty J. et al. SABER West 2018

46. Example of Student Reasoning for Flux
In the figure, there is net movement of K+ ions out of the cell (as indicated by arrow).
What can we change to cause net movement of K+ INTO the cell?
Identify as many ways as you can and explain how each causes K+ to move into the cell.
Category
Student Example
Students recognize that there is an electrical gradient but have errors
“The membrane potential needs to be more positive. When there are positive ions in the cell, then the membrane potential is positive.”
Students were asked what they could change about a system to make K+ move into the cell.
Doherty et al has found three types of student reasoning.
Level 2: Begin using principle-based reasoning but with errors
Doherty J. et al. SABER West 2018

47. Intermediate Level Student Reasoning for Flux
In the figure, there is net movement of K+ ions out of the cell (as indicated by arrow).
What can we change to cause net movement of K+ INTO the cell?
Identify as many ways as you can and explain how each causes K+ to move into the cell.
Category
Student Example
Students include both both gradients, but treat as independent
“Make the inside of the cell more negative and add more potassium ions to the outside of the cell.
The negative charge of the inside of the cell will attract the positively charged potassium ions creating a stronger electrical gradient.
The addition of potassium to the outside will create a concentration gradient that makes the ions flow in.”
Level 3: Principle-based reasoning using individual components
Doherty J. et al. SABER West 2018

48. Higher Level Student Reasoning for Flux
In the figure, there is net movement of K+ ions out of the cell (as indicated by arrow).
What can we change to cause net movement of K+ INTO the cell?
Identify as many ways as you can and explain how each causes K+ to move into the cell.
Category
Student Example
Students include both gradients, attend to them being opposing forces and can predict when the net force will reverse (Ek)
“Lower the membrane potential below -91 mV, increase the concentration of K+ outside the cell, or decrease the K+ concentration inside the cell.
The concentration gradient and/or the electric gradient must be changed so that the driving force into the cell (caused by the electric gradient) is greater than the driving force out of the cell (via the concentration gradient).”
Level 4: Principle-based reasoning with consideration of the interacting components
Doherty J. et al. SABER West 2018

49. Automated Analysis of Student Responses
This year the teams at UW-Seattle and MSU are scoring student responses to train the machine learning model. Next year we will need student responses from many institutions around the country.
Expert Scoring
Computerized Feature Extraction
Machine Learning Model Training
Predicted Score Validation
Training
Data
Expert Scoring
Student Responses
Machine Learning
Model
Predicted Scores
New
Data

50. Current Projects– Physiology Concepts Research
New Conceptual Frameworks: See physiolobyconcepts.org/publications/abstracts to participate.
Mass Balance– Harold Modell et al.– EB poster 2018
Cell Membrane – Joel Michael et al.– EB poster 2018
LeaP-UP Project: Learning Progressions in Undergraduate Physiology for two core concepts: Flux (Flow Down Gradients) & Mass Balance – Jennifer Doherty & Mary Pat Wenderoth (UW-Seattle) et al. & Automated Analysis of Constructed Response (AACR) group at Michigan State University. (MSU)
initial undergraduate surveys and interviews
faculty / expert interviews last Fall
more students surveys (national) next year – please help!
Poster MON. 9:00 AM— SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER, EXHIBIT HALLS A-D
Presentation time: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Posters are on display Sunday and Monday
T A Conceptual Framework for the Core Concept of Mass Balance. H.I. Modell, J.A. Michael. Physiology Educational Research Consortium, Rush Medical College and Rush University.
T A Conceptual Framework for the Core Concept of Cell Membrane. J. Michael, H. Modell. Rush Medical College, Rush University and Physiology Educational Research Consortium.

51. Current Projects – Community College
PULSE Ambassador Program, PULSE Ambassadors – Creating a National Leadership Network to Accelerate Departmental Transformation towards Vision and Change
Facilitation of departmental transformation
You can request a team of trained facilitators to come to your department to help facilitate departmental change processes.

52. Like-minded Colleagues
Find “like-minded colleagues to form a team willing to work on improving classroom teaching and learning.” – John Wooden
Who are your “like-minded colleagues”, your fellowship of folk transforming teaching & learning?
Nate & Gallimore 2006

53. Thank you for helping move and frame “rocks”.
Summary
Core Concepts
Conceptual Frameworks
Importance of Community
Current Projects & Research
Thank you for helping move and frame “rocks”.

54. Thank you!
The CAP (Conceptual Assessment for Physiology) project team physiologyconcepts.org.
Bill Cliff (Niagara University)
Jenny McFarland (Edmonds Community College)
Harold Modell (Bastyr University)
Joel Michael (Rush Medical School)
Mary Pat Wenderoth (University of Washington Seattle)
Jennifer Doherty  (University of Washington Seattle)
Patricia Martinkova (Czech Academy of Sciences)
the late Ann Wright (Canisius College)
The many physiology faculty who have responded to our surveys, participated in our workshops, come to our posters and talks. Thanks to the APS teaching section and HAPS!
The students, who have responded to our questions, participated in interviews and who inspire us.
We have been supported by NSF grant DUE
This work is aligned with the recommendations of Vision & Change and the work of PULSE (the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education).

55. References
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action, Washington, DC: AAAS. Change-Final-Report.pdf
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians. Washington, DC: AAMC.
Beyer, C. H., Taylor, E., & Gillmore, G. M  Inside the undergraduate teaching experience: The University of Washington's growth in faculty teaching study. SUNY Press.
McFarland, J., Michael, J., Modell, H., Wenderoth, M.P., Cliff, W., and Wright, A A Conceptual Framework for Homeostasis: Development and Validation. Advances in Physiology Education 40:213–222.
McFarland, J. L., Price, R. M., Wenderoth, M. P., Martinková, P., Cliff, W., Michael, J., Modell, H. and Wright, A. (2017). Development and Validation of the Homeostasis Concept Inventory. CBE Life Sciences Education, 16(2), ar35. doi.org/ /cbe
Michael, J. Martinková, P., McFarland, J., Wright, A., Cliff, W., Modell, H. and Wenderoth, M.P. (2017). Validating a conceptual framework for the core concept of "cell-cell communications". Advances in Physiology Education 41(2):
Michael, J. and McFarland, J The core principles (“big ideas”) of physiology: results of faculty surveys. Advances in Physiology Education. 25:
Modell, H.I How to help students understand physiology? Emphasize general models. Biochemistry and Advances in Physiology Education. 23:

56. References, continued
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:
Nater, S and Gallimore, R You haven’t taught until they have learned: John Wooden’s Teaching Principles and Practices. Fitness Information Technology, Morgantown, WV.
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. and McTighe J., 2006, Understanding by Design, Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.