Using systems modeling to facilitate undergraduate physiology student learning and retention of difficult concepts

• Published in: Advances in physiology education 2024-12, Vol.48 (4), p.867-872
• Main Authors: Murphy, Michelle Pauley, Hung, Woei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1043-4046; 1522-1229; 1522-1229
• DOI: 10.1152/advan.00020.2024

Physiology concepts, such as acid-base balance, may be difficult for students to understand. Systems modeling, a cognitive tool, allows students to visualize their mental model of the problem space to enhance learning and retention. We performed a within-subjects three-period randomized control comparison of systems modeling versus written discussion activities in an undergraduate asynchronous online course. Participants (n=108) were randomized to groups with differing treatment orders across three course units: endocrine, immune, and acid-base balance. Participants demonstrated content understanding either through constructing systems modeling diagrams (M) or written discussion posts (W) in a MWM, MMW, or WMM sequence. For each of three units, student performance was assessed on six standardized multiple-choice questions embedded within a 45-question exam. The same six questions per unit, eighteen questions total, was again assessed on the 75-question final exam. The groups demonstrated no significant difference in performance in the endocrine unit exam (mean difference, MD=-0.036). However, the modeling group outperformed the writing group in the immune unit exam (MD=0.209) and widened the gap in the acid-base balance unit exam (MD=0.243). On the final exam, performance was again higher for the modeling group on acid-base balance content as mean difference increased to 0.306 despite the final exam content for acid-base balance being significantly more difficult compared to other units (modeling: F(2)=29.882, p