Improvement of Undergraduate Education through Interdisciplinary Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Instruction

斯普林菲尔德学院目前向所有将从这一科学经验中受益的本科生提供身体解剖学的能力有限。目前，只有物理或职业治疗专业的学生才能定期使用人体身体实验室。该项目通过一种将动手解剖与交互式计算机教学相结合的跨学科方法，将这种学习机会扩展到所有就读于理科专业以及基于科学的专业和准专业课程的本科生。该学院生物学、物理治疗、职业治疗、运动训练和医生助理课程的学生在实验室研究团队中工作，分享信息、见解和技能。通过这种团队方法，本科生从事跨学科研究，因为他们从形态和生化的角度研究身体器官系统的相互关系，每个学科都有不同的重点。要求学生在跨学科的团队方法中使用批判性思维技能是本项目的重要组成部分。学生发展形成跨学科边界的假设、寻求解决方案和为结果辩护的技能。这个跨学科项目对我们的本科科学教育是一个重大的改进，因为它将基础科学和应用科学专业的学生聚集在一起，分享学习经验。实践学习和计算机辅助学习相结合，既适合所有学生，也适合非传统学生和不同学习风格的学生。该学院由此产生的科学课程为理科本科生提供了不同寻常的机会，让他们能够亲身体验人体解剖学和生理学。

Springfield College is limited in its current ability to offer cadaver anatomy to all undergraduate students who would benefit from this science experience. Currently, only students majoring in Physical or Occupational Therapy can regularly use the human cadaver laboratory. This project extends this learning opportunity to all undergraduate students enrolled in science majors and science-based professional and pre-professional programs through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates hands-on dissection with interactive computer-based instruction. Students in the College's Biology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, and Physician Assistant programs work in laboratory study teams to share information, insights, and skills. Through this team approach, undergraduate students engage in interdisciplinary study as they study the interrelationships of body organ systems from a morphological and biochemical view, with differing foci appropriate to each of their disciplines. Requiring students to use critical-thinking skills in an interdisciplinary team approach is an essential part of this project. Students develop skills in forming hypotheses that cross disciplinary borders, seeking solutions and defending the outcomes. This interdisciplinary project is a significant improvement for our undergraduate science education as it brings together basic and applied science majors in shared learning experiences. The integration of hands-on and computer-assisted learning accommodates all students as well as nontraditional students and students with differing learning styles. The resulting science curricula at the College provides the unusual opportunity for undergraduate science majors to learn anatomy and physiology hands-on with human cadavers.