Are your students ready for anatomy and physiology? Developing tools to identify students at risk for failure

Abstract

High failure rates in introductory college science courses, including anatomy and physiology, are common at institutions across the country, and determining the specific factors that contribute to this problem is challenging. To identify students at risk for failure in introductory physiology courses at our open-enrollment institution, an online pilot survey was administered to 200 biology students. The survey results revealed several predictive factors related to academic preparation and prompted a comprehensive analysis of college records of >2,000 biology students over a 5-yr period. Using these historical data, a model that was 91% successful in predicting student success in these courses was developed. The results of the present study support the use of surveys and similar models to identify at-risk students and to provide guidance in the development of evidence-based advising programs and pedagogies. This comprehensive approach may be a tangible step in improving student success for students from a wide variety of backgrounds in anatomy and physiology courses.

Active Learning and Flipped Classroom, Hand in Hand Approach to Improve Students Learning in Human Anatomy and Physiology

“…In most community colleges students do not arrive at the course with the required academic skills or prior scientific knowledge to succeed in gateway courses such as Human A&P (Gultice, Witham, & Kallmeyer, 2015). Therefore, there is an immediate need to provide students with different support services and implement innovative pedagogical approaches in gateway courses.…”

Tertiary Anatomy and Physiology, A Barrier for Student Success

“…Academic preparation and organisational skills have also been identified as factors that contribute to A&P and overall academic success at university (Griff & Matter, 2008;Gultice et al, 2015). Griff and Matter (2008) discovered a significant correlation between student's academic successes in a large A&P course and when a personal electronic device, which enabled participation in class quizzes, was registered.…”

“…Another factor affecting the transition from high school to tertiary education is the utilisation of an academic advisor for course selection exposure to college experience and help with balancing study, work and life issues (Gultice et al, 2015;Steele, 2018). Gultice et al (2015) validated that a multifaceted approach between students and advisors regarding course selection could lead to appropriate remediation before a student registers for university, and when combined with targeted tutoring and support, a decrease in withdrawal and increased academic success.…”

“…Another factor affecting the transition from high school to tertiary education is the utilisation of an academic advisor for course selection exposure to college experience and help with balancing study, work and life issues (Gultice et al, 2015;Steele, 2018). Gultice et al (2015) validated that a multifaceted approach between students and advisors regarding course selection could lead to appropriate remediation before a student registers for university, and when combined with targeted tutoring and support, a decrease in withdrawal and increased academic success. In the context of an undergraduate science study, faculty members and student advisors can guide underprepared students, such as those transitioning from high school to university, using supported pathways that help them to succeed in, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of faculty members (Brock, 2010;Frost, 1991;Gultice et al, 2015).…”

“…The majority of university health science courses, such as nursing, physiotherapy, radiology and medicine, require anatomy and physiology or other foundational biology subjects that include A&P as core units (Gultice et al, 2015;Sefton, 2005). Therefore, in order to determine the factors that contribute to performance in anatomy and physiology, and improve student outcomes, one must first appreciate the perceived barriers and difficulties associated with learning these fundamental courses.…”