Sci-Ed Update 324

Attitudes toward A&P exams, attitudes about higher ed, clickers, brain prosthesis for speech, COVID forecaster, toilet plumes, brain chemistry & mental disorders, viewing nature w/ color deficiency...

Aug 19, 2024

water, person, spring, drink, fun, beauty, drinking water, sense, human action, drinking water filter singapore, drinking water bottle singapore, clean drinking water singapore, drinking water in singapore, best filter water bottle — Image: PxHere (CC0 Public Domain)

Have you ever noticed a difference in how you feel when drinking cold versus room temperature water? If not, there's a good chance you at least have a preference for one or the other, when it comes to what you reach for when you're thirsty. And there are several possible reasons for that.
The stomach reacts differently to cold water, than it does to warm, which can in turn affect digestion. The temperature of water can also impact your circulation, according to experts, and can even contribute to things like headaches. When it comes to hydration, though, it's important to keep in mind that water is water, no matter the temp.

Student Response Systems: Trying Clickers in Your Course

on-demand session on why Kevin uses clickers to teach A&P — Use link below to access this video

This on-demand session explores the use of the i>clicker student response system over a two-semester A&P course sequence.

I address reasons for trying and whether those reasons pan out (they did).
Data from an anonymous student survey of 176 students reveals student attitudes as well. The results may surprise you!

Earn a professional development credential for completing this seminar!

This seminar is of interest to those who have never used clickers as well as seasoned clicker experts.

theAPprofessor.org/seminar-clicker.html

A Dangerous Idea About How the Brain Works

The chemical-imbalance theory in mental health influenced the way we talk and think about these conditions. But is it right?

Kevin Patton comment→ From The Atlantic—unless you subscribe, you may have to ask your librarian for help in accessing this article.

Exam reform: an opportunity for the redistribution of academic power

Students in STEM know well the stress, challenge, and effort that accompany college exams. As a widely recognizable feature of the STEM classroom experience, high-stakes assessments serve as crucial cultural gateways in shaping both preparation and motivation for careers.
In this essay, we identify and discuss issues of power around STEM exams to further the understanding of exam practices that can unjustly hold students back. Through theory and practical examples, we consider the numerous ways in which power manifests both on and off the pages of the exams themselves, as well as ways in which power is consolidated away from students through logistical norms and tradeoffs. Centering the “rules of the culture of power” as delineated by Dr. Lisa Delpit, we reflect on exam practices that prioritize faculty voice and faculty convenience above student learning and student identity.
We share some of what we have learned from our students as part of a call to improve STEM education by relinquishing some of our exam-related power over students, redistributing it to students so that they have more power to shape their own education.

Kevin Patton comment→ This essay by Greg Crowther and Ben Wiggins is a must-read for all A&P faculty. It’s an interesting read that challenges our preconceptions about A&P exams. See the next item below for a chat I had with them about some of these ideas.

Examining the Anatomy & Physiology Exam: Chatting with Greg Crowther and Ben Wiggins

In episode 149 of The A&P Professor podcast, host Kevin Patton chats with Greg Crowther and Ben Wiggins about their work with exams in the anatomy and physiology (A&P) course. They discuss the importance of exams in assessing student learning and the need for exams to be more connected to course objectives. They also mention the challenges of designing exams that are fair and inclusive for all students. Crowther and Wiggins are conducting a survey on A&P exams and encourage listeners to participate to contribute to the understanding of exam practices in the A&P community. The survey can be accessed at tinyurl.com/stemexamsurvey.

To listen to this episode, click on the play button above ⏵ (if present) or this link→ theAPprofessor.org/podcast-episode-149.html

Kevin Patton comment→ This episodes features a chat about many of the ideas in the journal article cited in the item above.

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Chief Ranger Ethan Howes Credit: Virginia State Parks

In June 2023, Natural Tunnel State Park became the first in Virginia to install an EnChroma-adapted viewfinder for colorblind guests, giving them the chance to experience the park’s stunning views like never before.
Now, Virginia State Parks is celebrating another milestone: becoming the first state park system in the nation to install a viewfinder at each of its 43 locations.
[Use the link below to] keep reading to learn more about this significant achievement and to hear what some of our colorblind visitors have to say about the viewfinders.

Can you get sick from the germs in toilet plumes?

The question:
Is it true that there’s an invisible plume of pathogens that spews out of the toilet when you flush it — and that it can make you sick?
The science:
When you flush a toilet, aerosols containing any pathogen residing in the bowl spray into the bathroom.
A 2022 study that used lasers to illuminate these aerosolized plumes found that the plumes, which may contain bacteria and viruses, can shoot almost five feet into the air — the approximate height of the nose and mouth of an average adult — within about eight seconds of the flush, said John Crimaldi, a professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who was the lead author of the study.
The plume also spread several yards horizontally within a short time, Crimaldi said.

An Accurate and Rapidly Calibrating Speech Neuroprosthesis

In a person with ALS and severe dysarthria, an intracortical speech neuroprosthesis reached a level of performance suitable to restore conversational communication after brief training.

What Do Americans Say About College? That Depends on What — and Whom — You Ask.

What Americans have to say about higher ed depends a lot on what you ask them. Overall measures tend to be positive, but specifics on individual and societal benefits generally draw more skepticism.

The A&P Professor Science & Education Updates