Use of a Short, In‐Class, Free Response Activity to Assess Student Understanding of Core Concepts of the Cell Membrane in an Undergraduate Physiology Course

Abstract

Students in an upper division, stand‐alone animal physiology course at Missouri Western State University are required to have completed a freshman‐level introductory cell biology course and a sophomore‐level genetics course as prerequisites. These prerequisite courses include discussion of the eukaryotic cell membrane and basic properties and functions of the membrane. However, many students remember the basic information about membrane structure but have difficulty relating that structure to membrane function and related topics in our physiology course, including vesicular transport, primary and secondary active transport, osmosis, and current flow across the membrane. To gain a better understanding of what students recall about the cell membrane before covering membrane structure and function in class, students were given an open‐ended prompt, “What do you know about the structure and function of the animal cell membrane?” The students were allowed to work in small groups or alone, and could generate their response as drawings, written statements, or both. They were given 10 minutes to construct a response. These student responses were analyzed using the conceptual framework for the “cell membrane” core concept recently published by Michael and Modell (Adv Physiol Educ 2019). This activity was repeated 2 weeks after finishing discussing of the cell membrane. Prior to covering this content in class, 100% (19 out of 19) submissions included a drawing or description of the cell membrane as a phospholipid bilayer, and 84% of submissions included integral and peripheral membrane proteins. Similar percentages of students included these concepts in the post‐coverage assessment. However, other components of the “cell membrane” conceptual framework were included much less frequently or not at all prior to covering the content in class, but improved dramatically afterwards. In the pre‐assessment, only 11% of responses included solute concentration gradients or selective permeability, while 70% of responses in the post‐assessment included this concepts. In the pre‐assessment less than 10% mentioned vesicular transport, receptors, or channel proteins; after covering the content in class, these topics were included by 15%, 45%, and 35% of student responses, respectively. This quick activity provides valuable information about what students recall from prior coursework and what concepts need to be revisited before moving into more detailed discussion of cell membrane function. When used in addition to objective exam or assignment questions, this free‐response activity can also provide a complementary view of student understanding of core concepts of the cell membrane.