engleski

Motivating health sciences students to learn actively and think critically about physiology

With new information and new discoveries being made on a daily basis throughout the world, teaching physiology has become a challenge for teachers and a learning challenge for students probably greater than ever before. In order for students to manage new information, teachers not only need to convey the ever growing knowledge to students efficiently in a limited amount of time, they also need to provide them with methods essential for critical thinking that students can apply in the classroom and during self-learning. One such method is a ERR framework (Evocation, Realisation of meaning and Reflection) that motivates students to think critically and learn actively about physiology. ERR framework consists of three phases in which students actively participate: in the first phase, called evocation, different methods are used to recall knowledge about a subject that students already have ; in the second phase (realisation of meaning) students obtain new knowledge using different learning techniques ; and in the third phase (reflection) they connect knew and previous knowledge in a meaningful collection of ideas and practical application. In each of the three phases the teacher applies techniques which encompass individual work and team work, reading, writing, debate, brainstorming etc. In this way, students not only learn about physiology but at the same time they become active learners and critical thinkers. We use the ERR framework for our health studies students in groups as large as 150 and as small as 20, during lectures, seminars and lab-work. The framework is motivating and encouraging for students as well as the teacher.

Physiology ; Active learning ; critical thinking

Acta Physiologica, Volume 215, Issue S705, November 2015, Pages i–137, DOI:10.1111/apha.12626