The Impact of Active Learning Instruction on Student Performance in a Large University Physiology Class

While the benefits of active learning are well-documented in science education, there remains a need for evidence supporting the high-frequency and consistent implementation of diverse active learning methods within very large (400+ student) undergraduate STEM courses. This research study aimed to assess the implementation of active learning techniques in a large, 400+ student, higher education Human Physiology class. We specifically used three active learning techniques, discussions, problem-based learning, and kinesthetic approaches after reviewing the literature. Exam performance data was collected and analyzed using nonparametric univariate tests. All exam questions were mapped to Bloom’s Taxonomy, covering both comprehension and application-level content. Results revealed there were significant differences across all semester mean exam scores. Students scored highly on exams following kinesthetic modalities of learning, though all modalities showed above average (on a bell curve, 70%) performance. These findings suggest that kinesthetic-based active learning is a uniquely potent strategy for enhancing performance in large-enrollment Human Physiology courses.