Laboratory

Introduction: The laboratory for Online Distance Medical Physiology is conducted using a computer program called Ph.I.L.S (physiology interactive lab simulations) and developed by Dr. Phil Stephens at Villanova University.  The current version we are using is 3.0. Each assigned laboratory simulation corresponds to key physiology concepts taught in the course.  This software offers students the flexibility to change the parameters of every lab experiment, with no limit to the amount of times a student can repeat experiments. This power to manipulate each experiment reinforces key physiology concepts by helping students to view outcomes, make predictions, and draw conclusions.

The laboratories are at a level used for Physiology majors and pre-health science majors at challenging institutions. They are for pre-medical, dental, PA, DPT, pharmacy and graduate nutrition students.

For more information, click on the following links

• A list of the Laboratory Experiments
  
• How Does the Laboratory Work?
• How are laboratories graded?
• What happens if a student messes up an experiment?
• Some other schools that use Ph.I.L.S.
• For a brief video demonstrating the laboratory, click here.

A list of the Laboratory Experiments for Medical Physiology DPP 370

• Ph.I.L.S Lab #1: Varying Extracellular Concentration
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #17: Thyroid Gland and Metabolic Function
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #8: Resting Potential and External [K+]
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #9: Resting Potential and External [Na+]
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #10: The Compound Action Potential
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #14: Facilitation and Depression
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #4: Stimulus-Dependent Force Generation
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #20: Starling’s Law of the Heart
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #36: Deep Breath and Cardiac Function
• Ph.I.L.S Lab #37: Glucose transport

Back to Top

How does the laboratory work? The Ph.I.L.S 3.0 Lab Simulations CD contains a total of 37 Lab Simulations. However, as you proceed through the course lectures, you will be assigned a total of only 10 laboratory simulations from these 37, that correspond to the course material.  The number of labs you do in each unit of study will vary. Specifically, Unit 1 of the course has a single lab assignment, Unit 2 of the course has 5 lab assignments, Unit 3 of the course has 3 lab assignments, and Unit 4 has 1 lab assignment. Each of the 10 dynamic lab simulations begins with a set of objectives, stating what you are expected know when you have completed the lab. This is followed by an introduction to the lab, which will help you make the connection between lecture concepts and lab activity. You will then take a “Pre-Lab” quiz. This quiz is simply to give you an idea as to your current understanding of the concepts. This Pre-Lab quiz is not graded.

After doing the Pre-Lab quiz, you will proceed to the ‘wet lab’. You will view the laboratories as you would in a traditional laboratory setting.  Each simulation guides you through measuring, analyzing data and creating graphs.  Simply follow the instructions. You will work at your own pace and perform the experiment as many times as needed to gather the necessary data. When finished, you will be presented with a Post-Lab quiz to test your understanding, typically containing 5 to 10 questions.  Finally, you will print and submit a lab report with a graph, table, and the answers to the questions.

Back to Top

How are laboratories graded? As explained in the course syllabus, you will complete a total of 10 labs in this course, and each of the Post Lab quizzes for these labs count a total of 10 points (ie, if it is a 5 question Post-Lab quiz, each question is worth two points; if the Post Lab quiz is 10 questions, each question is worth 1 point). Therefore, you have the possibility of acquiring 100 points towards your final grade in the Lab Component of this course (10 quizzes x 10 points each = 100 potential points, total). A printed copy of the Post-Lab quiz results for each of the labs required in a unit must be turned in to the exam proctor when the exam for that unit is taken.

Back to Top

What happens if a student messes up an experiment?Since you may repeat the experiment as many time as necessary, this will not happen.

Back to Top

Some other schools that use Ph.I.L.S.: East Tennessee State University; Lake Michigan College; Saint Louis University; Simmons College ; Texas southern University