Syllabus

UNE Summer Session

PHSL 1010: Medical Physiology – 6 Weeks

Credits - 4

Description

In this course, learners will be introduced to core concepts that shape our knowledge of the workings of the human body. Cell-cell communication and membrane dynamics will first be studied as central themes that govern coordination in individual cells and tissues, and within and between organ systems. Structure/function correlates will introduce the study of each system and the regulation of each system will be illustrated via lecture presentations, laboratories, discussions, and journal clubs. Students will learn to address problems in physiology, and to apply their knowledge and new understandings to case studies similar to those they may encounter in clinical settings.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

As a result of participating in the learning experiences in this course, students will be able to:

• Apply the concepts of cell-cell communication and control of complex systems in laboratories, discussions, journal clubs, and assignments
• Explain the basic components of systems physiology, particularly those associated with the neuromuscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and endocrine structure and function.
• Apply the components of cellular and systems physiology to case studies in endocrine control and to complex problems such as exercise and environmental physiology.
• Contribute to a learning community that will create and explore original applications of physiological concepts in discussions, journal clubs, and a lesson plan.

Learning Outcomes for Science Prerequisites for Health Professions Program

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

1. Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
2. Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
3. Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.

In lab courses, students should be able to:

1. Ask a question or define a problem that can be tested.
2. Hypothesize possible result(s).
3. Plan and/or conduct an investigation individually and/or collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence.
4. Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (i.e., computational, mathematical, graphical, etc.) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
5. Communicate the results by constructing an explanation based on multiple pieces of valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
6. Apply scientific ideas, principles, and/or evidence gained from various experiments, as well as other observations and/or research, to provide an explanation of phenomena and solve design problems, taking into account possible unanticipated effects.

Assignments

Lectures and Videos:

Before you complete your labs, please view the assigned lecture videos. The lecture videos are organized into playlists corresponding to each week’s topics.

Readings:

The majority of your readings are from the Silverthorn textbook. You will find specific pages in the text assigned to each week’s topics.

Labs and Practical Activities:

This course is organized into eight-week each containing two units of study.  In every week, you will complete multiple laboratory assignments. The labs and practical activities provide hands-on learning opportunities in each topic of study.

Exams:

There will be a total of 2 proctored and timed physiology exams and 1 timed histology practical exam which is not proctored. 

The Midterm and Final Exam are timed and must be proctored by ProctorU; see below for more information. Study guides will be provided to assist you in getting ready for the exams. These exams are closed book and closed notes. This course does not allow scratch paper or whiteboards during the proctored exams.

You must purchase the Official UNE-compliant External Webcam to take your proctored examinations. Remember to order your webcam at least three weeks prior to scheduling your first proctored exam.

For all exams, you must review the Proctored Examinations information and requirements in the Policies section of this syllabus.

Discussions and Journal Club:

Throughout the course, you will participate and interact with peers in four Discussions and five Journal Club learning activities. You can access both of these activities through the links in the weeks where a Discussion question or Journal Club is included. You can also access both activities through the Discussion tab on the course menu.

Discussions will be organized around a topic and you will be given questions to answer. Once your answers are posted, you will be able to read the answers posted by your peers and respond to at least one peer to discuss their answers. The Journal Club assignments are an opportunity to practice and get feedback on the type of analysis needed to complete the final lesson plan. In the Journal Club, you will be given a scholarly article to review and a prompt to answer and discuss with your peers. Once again, you will be asked to post your answer and to respond to at least one of your peers.

Case Studies:

There are four case study assignments in the course. These assignments present a short case study scenario and several subsequent questions related to topics from the unit. Responses do not have a length requirement, so you may answer questions directly in the text box or file format of your choice. 

Analysis of Exercise Data:

Please read the instructions for the Project, which can be found on your main menu. Please keep a careful record of your data for each repetition of the exercise; you’ll need them for the final laboratory assignment of the course (Analysis of Exercise Data). You MUST use the data table in the Excel Spreadsheet shared with you for your personal data in this project. Please copy the spreadsheet before you begin entering your data; do not directly edit the template found at the link. Share your data with your instructor after each repetition of the Exercise Project by sharing your copy of the spreadsheet via email or via Course Messages.

Reproductive System Lesson Plan Portfolio:

In this course, will need to create a lesson and a presentation. The portfolio submission is divided into two parts.  Part one will include a lesson plan and study aid focusing on the reproductive system. Part two will be a video presentation to accompany your lesson plan. 

You must begin your video by showing yourself full-screen, looking directly into the camera, and clearly stating your full name while holding up a piece of paper on which your full name and the date are clearly written in bold writing. If you fail to do so, the assignment will not be graded. You will have to submit it again prior to your course end date.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignments	Percent of Final Grade
Histology Exams (Not Proctored)	10%
PhysioEx Labs	10%
Practical Activities	5%
Discussions (Journal Clubs, Discussion Forums)	15%
Case Studies	5%
Physiology Midterm Exam	20%
Physiology Final Exam	20%
Review Questions	5%
Lesson Outline and Presentation	10%
Total:	100%

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00