Advances in Physiology Education, Vol 269, Issue 6 50-S54, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society
Understanding physiology by acting out concepts
C. B. Yucha
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA.
Typically, classes in anatomy and physiology are taught via lecture and
visual aids. This seems to work well for students who are primarily
auditory and visual learners but not for those who learn better through
kinesthetic experiences. This is the first report describing the use of
improvisation to act out physiological concepts within an anatomy and
physiology course. Improvisational techniques encourage active
participation and allow students to personally interact with and experience
difficult concepts in the classroom. In this paper, sensory modality
preferences for learning will be discussed briefly. Improvisational
techniques will be described, and examples of improvisations useful to
convey intricate physiological concepts will be provided. Last, student
responses to the use of improvisational techniques in an anatomy and
physiology course will be reported.
