Using Computer-Based Electronic Probes to Introduce Studentsto Research in Physiology

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This project introduces physiology students to investigative learning by engaging them in experimental projects that use computer-based instruments to solve problems that they pose about animal systems. In the introductory physiology and neurophysiology courses for majors, and in the introductory physiology course for nonmajors, students use an array of computer-interfaced transducers and electrodes to measure and analyze a variety of physiological processes, ranging from action potentials to brain waves. Consulting closely with the instructor, students in collaborative teams use computer-based guides to set up and work through the phases of a focused study in physiology. These include searching the literature on-line and in the lab library, posing questions, learning the rudiments of experimental design, logging hardware, reducing and depicting results in graphic formats, performing appropriate statistical tests, and developing reasoned conclusions in oral and written form. This laboratory project enables students to raise original questions about physiological systems and to acquire some of the problem-solving strategies and skills needed to answer them. As a result of these experiences, students not only gain a practical and intimate appreciation of the dynamics of physiological processes but also acquire computational skills for pursuing new problems they will encounter in other venues, such as honors projects, graduate studies, and professional employment.