#Endorphin learning edition resources full#

These lectures focused on small molecule neurotransmitters (e.g., glutamate) and included diagrams on the whiteboard. Previous in class lectures on neurotransmitters covered the first four steps of neurotransmission (synthesis, packaging, release and action at target sites). Nerve cells, action potentials, and neuroanatomy were covered during prior weeks of the course. Students were assigned to read Chapter 2 (Synapses) of the course textbook ( Kalat, 2013) during the third week of the course.

#Endorphin learning edition resources full#

This activity was used in an introductory neuroscience class comprised of psychology and biology majors but it is flexible enough to be used, in full or in part, in science courses of different sizes, levels, and disciplines. The activity is based, in large part, around analyzing and interpreting data and figures, which is considered to be a major goal of undergraduate neuroscience education ( Kerchner et al., 2012) and is crucial to science literacy. After completing this activity, students should be able to (a) describe three ways in which a neurotransmitter’s action in the synapse might be terminated (i.e., reuptake, degradation, diffusion), (b) compare/contrast expected levels of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft (“extracellular”) and in the presynaptic terminal (“intracellular”) over time, using each of these mechanisms, (c) evaluate how different types of drugs might affect one or more of these mechanisms, (d) predict the abuse liability of these drugs, based on their ability to disrupt normal synaptic function and their time course of action, and (e) synthesize information from different sets of figures to understand a typical set of scientific results. The activity, “ Mystery Neurotransmitters,” requires that students apply their understanding of basic principles of synaptic communication to analyze figures depicting fabricated datasets. The present paper presents a classroom-based activity on synaptic function. While many engaging laboratory-based activities and demonstrations on synaptic function are available via ERiN and other sources (e.g., Xu-Friedman, 2013 Wyttenbach et al., 2014 Lemons, 2016), courses that lack laboratory sections or have limited instructional resources must rely on critical thinking activities amenable to non-laboratory classroom settings. However, a search of the online database Educational Resources in Neuroscience (ERiN Olivo et al., 2015) identified few classroom-friendly activities specific to synaptic function ( Table 1). A growing number of problem-based learning activities and case studies have been developed for use in neuroscience classrooms (e.g., Meil, 2007 Roesch and Frenzel, 2016 Cammack, 2017).

Pedagogical approaches that incorporate opportunities for active learning and critical thinking have been shown to promote higher-order cognitive skills ( Bloom, 1956 Hake, 1998 Armbruster, 2009) and positively impact student attitudes ( Armbruster, 2009), exam scores ( Armbruster, 2009 Freeman et al., 2014), long-term retention ( Halpern & Hakel, 2003), and translatable skills ( Bonwell & Eison, 1991). However, these topics are often reviewed and/or revisited in upper-division neuroscience courses (e.g., psychopharmacology) and are also covered in many introductory and advanced psychology and biology courses. Synaptic function and neurotransmission are typically covered early in introductory neuroscience courses, as they lay the groundwork for subsequent physiological and systems-level units (e.g., Kalat, 2013). In a survey of undergraduate neuroscience faculty, over 75% of respondents reported that an understanding of the cellular and molecular functions of neurons, including neuronal communication, is essential to undergraduate neuroscience instruction ( Kerchner et al., 2012). A fundamental component of basic neuroscience knowledge is synaptic function and neurotransmission. Developing Algebraic Thinking: Plotting and Growingĭeveloping Geometric Logic: Shapes and Pathsĭeveloping Measurement Benchmarks: Scales and Balancesĭeveloping Number Concepts: Ordering and Arranging, Module Aĭeveloping Number Concepts: Ordering and Arranging, Module BĮnVision MATH Common Core 2.0 Student Edition V1ĮnVision MATH Common Core 2.Essential learning objectives in an undergraduate neuroscience program include a mastery of basic neuroscience knowledge and an ability to think critically and integratively ( Kerchner et al., 2012).