COVID-19 Updates

Regarding the Transition to Remote Laboratory Sessions in PSL 311L - Physiology Laboratory for Pre-Health Professional Students.

To Whom it may concern,

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Spring of 2020, we were forced to terminate all face to face courses at Michigan State University, and that included laboratory courses. As you know, a vital objective of laboratory courses is that they offer a primarily hands on approach that engages students with the concepts they are learning and helps build skills that will assist them in both their professional and personal lives. Prior to COVID-19, PSL 311L Physiology Laboratory for Pre-Health Professional students focused on three main areas. First, students learned and reinforced the physiological concepts as presented in the complementary lecture course, PSL 310, as well as PSL 311L lab. Furthermore, students were expected to apply and measure physiological variables in a laboratory/clinical environment. Lastly, throughout the course, they were encouraged to demonstrate professional behaviors and build a culture of integrity that is an essential component for a successful career in healthcare.

While we are continuing our focus on these three main areas, we have continued to offer this laboratory experience in a virtual setting throughout the Summer and Fall of 2020. As students are unable to meet in a cooperative laboratory environment, we have made various modifications to continue to meet our learning goals. First, students continue to work with various online learning modules which set them up for a laboratory experience each week. Second, students meet in a virtual synchronous laboratory session using Zoom to allow interaction between instructors and between students as they would in a face to face meeting. Third, students engage with a participatory laboratory module that requires them to not only interact with data sampling as if they had completed the sampling themselves, but they also perform at least 2 specified hands on activities each week in the safety of their home, input those data in a shared data drive, and analyze these data similar to an in class experience. Students are required to purchase a small equipment list including a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, peak flow meter, thermometer, reflex hammer, pen light and other less expensive items. They are also provided some consumable items including a 3D printed 2-point sensory discriminator wheel, urinalysis strips, and a blood typing kit. With this equipment and other resourced items, they are encouraged to locate, students can interact in more of a hands-on approach instead of simply watching simulations.

Although we are still placing an emphasis on data sampling and process, we have had to shift more of our effort towards data analysis. In addition, students collaborate via Zoom on the best way these data can be incorporated into scientific and clinical decisions when comparing it to known physiological concepts.

We will continue to improve the robustness of our virtual lab so that students are not missing out on fully engaging with our learning objectives. Therefore, we believe that our virtual laboratory course can still meet the rigorous requirements that graduate schools and various professional clinical programs are looking for.

Please contact me (zubekjoh@msu.edu) with any questions regarding this transition period.

Sincerely,

John Zubek