Biological Sciences (61) The BIO 2010 report calls for biology education to become more interdisciplinary, quantitative, and active through the use of well-designed curriculum modules. Physiology lends itself to this approach as its integrative nature includes all levels of biological organization, complex systems with emergent properties, and mechanisms that must be understood by applying basic principles of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. This project brings together a diverse group of physiologists to adapt two existing but out-of-date sets of laboratory experiments into a teachers' source book of inexpensive, low-tech, inquiry-focused laboratory and classroom activities suitable for students from K-12 through post-graduate levels. A core group of U.S. and international physiologists are coordinating the revision process, which is being accomplished with the assistance of colleagues from diverse institutions. Project participants receive training on how to convert cookbook laboratories to inquiry and develop a format template at a 3-day workshop associated with the 2005 International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) Congress in California. The development group reviews revised activities and sends them to the Education Office of the American Physiological Society (APS), which has agreed to be responsible for dissemination. The activities are being distributed free through the online APS Archive of Teaching Resources, part of the National Science Digital Library as well as in a CD-ROM version. APS is carrying out project evaluation. Intellectual Merit: Physiology laboratory activities that are pedagogically sound yet easy to perform are almost unavailable commercially, limiting curriculum choices for new teachers. Yet studies have shown that actively engaging students in carefully designed activities is an effective method for developing adaptive expertise as well as uncovering and correcting student misconceptions. This project is adapting existing physiology laboratory exercises to make them more learner-centered and inquiry-based. The core personnel on the project team have extensive experience in teaching physiology laboratories, adapting physiology curriculum to learner-centered teaching environments, and carrying out peer-review of curriculum materials. The APS is a leader in the digital dissemination of curriculum materials, and the APS Education Officer is a nationally recognized leader in the area of science education program evaluation. Broader Impact: The activities created are being published electronically through the APS Archive of Teaching Resources and on a CD-ROM. The collection of activities is not a student-ready laboratory manual but a resource that provides the educational rationale for each experiment, along with supply lists, use notes, and suggestions for execution of the activity. Downloadable files in *.rtf format can be modified by end-users to fit a wide spectrum of student populations. The active role of the APS in physiology education at all levels and its association with other professional societies ensures wide dissemination both in the United States and around the world. The format template for these exercises can serve as a model for others who wish to modify existing activities.
