ABSTRACT
Human anatomy and physiology classes for pre-nursing students at Gordon State
College are taught using the body systems approach, focusing on one organ
system in each learning unit. The body systems approach does not always
generate a deeper understanding of the interdependence of organ systems. To
address this issue we developed an analogy-based lab activity consisting of four
modules (Module 1, cranial bone markings; Module 2, cranial nerves; Module 3,
facial and neck muscles; and Module 4, inter-relationships that produce common
activities, such as smiling, frowning, chewing, olfaction, vision, eyeball
movements, gustation, etc.). Unlike traditional lab exercises that follow the body
systems approach, this set of lab activities can emphasize the specific interactions
between body systems for common body functions, such as smiling. This linking
method utilizes a number of the hands-on lab activities featuring text, diagrams,
and models. Assessment of these activities demonstrates that students can
effectively learn the relationships between different organ systems by using a
series of lab activities that emphasize creativity and fun.
Key Words: pre-nursing students; modular systems approach; linking organ system
interaction; analogy; effector functions; hands-on lab activities of cranial bone
markings; facial muscles; cranial nerves.
Introduction
Human Anatomy and Physiology lab is often taught using a systems
approach that presents the anatomical features and physiological processes particular to each body system. The body systems approach
provides a focus for students to concentrate on one set of structures
and functions at a time with a sharper focus. However, this approach
may cause students difficulty appreciating the interrelationships that
occur between organ systems.
An analogy can provide a conceptual framework for assimilating
new ideas. Students connect what they are learning to what they
already know (Ambrose et al., 2010; Aubusson et al., 2006). Anal-
ogy, if used effectively in anatomy laboratory activities, provides a
successful strategy to help students understand structures and
processes that are often foreign to everyday experience. Aubusson
et al. stated that thinking without metaphors is like a world without
pictures or a colorless landscape. Whether your interest be learning,
teaching, or research, metaphor and analogy offer new ways of
thinking and the potential to revitalize science teaching, teacher edu-
cation and professional development, curriculum and research
(Aubusson et al., 2006). The activity described in this paper uses
analogy to describe a set of anatomical structures and functions in
the cranial and neck region. For the purposes of this exercise, the
brain and related structures in the head and neck are described as
a walled city—the city of Brainington. Brainington is the capital city
of the country Humaneous Anatomeous. The country of Humane-
ous Anatomeous consists of other regions. These regions include
Thoraconeus (thoracic region), anchored by the twin cities of Car-
diacus (heart) and Respironia (lungs); inferior to Thoraconeus lies
the region of Abdominous (abdomen); within this region lie the cit-
ies of Hepaticus (liver), Alimentarius (intestine), and the twin cities
of Renae (kidneys).
Using this analogy, we developed four laboratory modules that
relate to a set of motor and sensory functions of the head and neck.
These modules were posted to an online learning platform prior to
the lab activities. First, students completed the three individual
anatomy laboratory modules focused on the cranial bone markings,
cranial nerves, and facial muscles. Second, students submitted the
fourth “putting it all together” module. Third, students performed
the hands-on laboratory group activities using the laboratory models of cranial bones, facial muscles, and pipe cleaners as cranial
nerves labeled I–XII for matching into the proper cranial bone
openings. Finally, students created and submitted lab activity posters composed of figures provided for the first three modules and
pictures of their hands-on lab activity demonstration.
These lab modules are designed to aid students in learning about
the interrelationships of the body systems; the foci of these lab activities are common functions such as smiling, smelling, seeing, eyeball
movement, tasting, etc. Based on student responses, these basic modules provided an effective hands-on teaching and learning experience.
The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 80, No. 9, pp. 661–667, ISSN 0002-7685, electronic ISSN 1938-4211. © 2018 National Association of Biology Teachers. All rights
reserved. Please direct all requests for permission to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press’s Reprints and Permissions web page,
www.ucpress.edu/journals.php?p=reprints. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2018.80.9.661.
THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER WHAT’S BEHIND THAT SMILE
RESEARCH ON
L E A R N I N G What’s Behind That Smile: Using
Analogies, Facial Expressions, and
Special Senses to Demonstrate
the Interactions Between Body
Systems in Anatomy and
Physiology Lab Classes
• JAMES WILLIAMSON, CATHY LEE
