A mixed method analysis of student satisfaction with active learning techniques in an online graduate anatomy course: Consideration of demographics and previous course enrollment.

Online learning has become an essential part of mainstream higher education. With increasing enrollments in online anatomy courses, a better understanding of effective teaching techniques for the online learning environment is critical. Active learning has previously shown many benefits in face-to-face anatomy courses, including increases in student satisfaction. Currently, no research has measured student satisfaction with active learning techniques implemented in an online graduate anatomy course. This study compares student satisfaction across four different active learning techniques (jigsaw, team-learning module, concept mapping, and question constructing), with consideration of demographics and previous enrollment in anatomy and/or online courses. Survey questions consisted of Likert-style, multiple-choice, ranking, and open-ended questions that asked students to indicate their level of satisfaction with the active learning techniques. One hundred seventy Medical Science master's students completed the online anatomy course and all seven surveys. Results showed that students were significantly more satisfied with question constructing and jigsaw than with concept mapping and team-learning module. Additionally, historically excluded groups (underrepresented racial minorities) were generally more satisfied with active learning than non-minority groups. Age, gender, and previous experience with anatomy did not influence the level of satisfaction. However, students with a higher-grade point average (GPA), those with only a bachelor's degree, and those with no previous online course experience were more satisfied with active learning than students who had a lower GPA, those holding a graduate/professional degree, and those with previous online course experience. Cumulatively, these findings support the beneficial use of active learning in online anatomy courses.

Influence of muscle metabolic heterogeneity in determining the V̇o2p kinetic response to ramp-incremental exercise.

The pulmonary O2 uptake (V̇o2p) response to ramp-incremental (RI) exercise increases linearly with work rate (WR) after an early exponential phase, implying that a single time constant (τ) and gain (G) describe the response. However, variability in τ and G of V̇o2p kinetics to different step increments in WR is documented. We hypothesized that the "linear" V̇o2p-WR relationship during RI exercise results from the conflation between WR-dependent changes in τ and G. Nine men performed three or four repeats of RI exercise (30 W/min) and two step-incremental protocols consisting of four 60-W increments beginning from 20 W or 50 W. During testing, breath-by-breath V̇o2p was measured by mass spectrometry and volume turbine. For each individual, the V̇o2p RI response was characterized with exponential functions containing either constant or variable τ and G values. A relationship between τ and G vs. WR was determined from the step-incremental protocols to derive the variable model parameters. τ and G increased from 21 ± 5 to 98 ± 20 s and from 8.7 ± 0.6 to 12.0 ± 1.9 ml·min(-1)·W(-1) for WRs of 20-230 W, respectively, and were best described by a second-order (τ) and a first-order (G) polynomial function of WR (lowest Akaike information criterion score). The sum of squared residuals was not different (P > 0.05) when the V̇o2p RI response was characterized with either the constant or variable models, indicating that they described the response equally well. Results suggest that τ and G increase progressively with WR during RI exercise. Importantly, these relationships may conflate to produce a linear V̇o2p-WR response, emphasizing the influence of metabolic heterogeneity in determining the apparent V̇o2p-WR relationship during RI exercise.

The influence of metabolic and circulatory heterogeneity on the expression of pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics in humans.

We examined the relationship amongst baseline work rate (WR), phase II pulmonary oxygen uptake (V̇(O2p)) time constant (τV̇(O2p)) and functional gain (G(P)=ΔV̇(O2p)/ΔWR) during moderate-intensity exercise. Transitions were initiated from a constant or variable baseline WR. A validated circulatory model was used to examine the role of heterogeneity in muscle metabolism (V̇(O2m)) and blood flow (Q̇(m)) in determining V̇(O2p) kinetics. We hypothesized that τV̇(O2p) and G(P) would be invariant in the constant baseline condition but would increase linearly with increased baseline WR. Fourteen men completed three to five repetitions of ∆40 W step transitions initiated from 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 W on a cycle ergometer. The ∆40 W step transitions from 60, 80, 100 and 120 W were preceded by 6 min of 20 W cycling, from which the progressive ΔWR transitions (constant baseline condition) were examined. The V̇(O2p) was measured breath by breath using mass spectrometry and a volume turbine. For a given ΔWR, both τV̇(O2p) (22-35 s) and G(P) (8.7-10.5 ml min(-1) W(-1)) increased (P < 0.05) linearly as a function of baseline WR (20-120 W). The τV̇(O2p) was invariant (P < 0.05) in transitions initiated from 20 W, but G(P) increased with ΔWR (P < 0.05). Modelling the summed influence of multiple muscle compartments revealed that τV̇(O2p) could appear fast (24 s), and similar to in vivo measurements (22 ± 6 s), despite being derived from τV̇(O2p) values with a range of 15-40 s and τQ̇(m) with a range of 20-45 s, suggesting that within the moderate-intensity domain phase II V̇(O2p) kinetics are slowed dependent on the pretransition WR and are strongly influenced by muscle metabolic and circulatory heterogeneity.

Exercise Intensity Thresholds: Identifying the Boundaries of Sustainable Performance.

UNLABELLED: Critical power (CP), respiratory compensation point (RCP), maximal lactate steady state (MLSS), and deoxyhemoglobin breakpoint ([HHb]BP) are alternative functional indices that are thought to demarcate the highest exercise intensity that can be tolerated for long durations. PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that CP, RCP, MLSS, and [HHb]BP occur at the same metabolic intensity by examining the pulmonary oxygen uptake (V˙)O2p and power output (PO) associated with each "threshold." METHODS: Twelve healthy men (mean ± SD age, 27 ± 3 yr) performed the following tests on a cycle ergometer: i) four to five exhaustive tests for determination of CP, ii) two to three 30-min constant-power trials for MLSS determination, and iii) a ramp incremental exercise test from which the V˙O2p and PO at RCP and [HHb]BP were determined. During each trial, breath-by-breath V˙O2p and ventilatory variables were measured with a metabolic cart and flowmeter turbine; near-infrared spectroscopy-derived [HHb] was monitored using a frequency domain multidistance system, and arterialized capillary blood lactate was sampled at regular intervals. RESULTS: There were no differences (P > 0.05) among the V˙O2p values associated with CP, RCP, MLSS, and [HHb]BP (CP, 3.29 ± 0.48; RCP, 3.34 ± 0.45; MLSS, 3.27 ± 0.44; [HHb]BP, 3.41 ± 0.46 L·min(-1)); however, the PO associated with RCP (262 ± 48 W) and [HHb]BP (273 ± 41 W) were greater (P < 0.05) than both CP (226 ± 45 W) and MLSS (223 ± 39 W), which, themselves, were not different (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the standard methods for determination of CP, RCP, MLSS, and [HHb]BP are different, these indices occur at the same V˙O2p, suggesting that i) they may manifest as a result of similar physiological phenomenon and ii) each provides a valid delineation between tolerable and intolerable constant-power exercise.