A survey on the teaching of introductory nervous system content in undergraduate courses

Abstract

Teaching introductory or foundation level concepts about anatomy and physiology of the nervous system to undergraduate students presents a conundrum for educators—how to provide students with sufficient knowledge for a successful learning experience and outcome without overwhelming students and impacting student progression and retention. We surveyed neuroscience educators to investigate which introductory concepts are currently being taught and assessed in introductory or foundation level courses, and the perceived importance of each concept. The study involved an anonymous survey containing a list of concepts drawn from a validated and published set of neuroscience core concepts and sub‐concepts. Seventy‐six neuroscience educators who currently teach introductory nervous system content in Australian undergraduate courses completed the survey. Concepts that were taught by many survey respondents were those associated with intra‐ and intercellular communication and maintenance of homeostasis. Few respondents reported teaching students about evolution and genes. The concepts that were frequently taught had a higher rating of importance and summative assessment than concepts that were infrequently taught. Thematic analysis revealed insufficient coverage of neuroanatomical concepts (19/29 responses; 66%). The survey results provide an overview of the type and perceived importance of introductory or foundation level nervous system concepts that are currently being taught to undergraduate students in Australian health and science degrees. The identified concepts enable neuroscience educators to evaluate, map, and compare the learning outcomes and content in their course to inform curriculum development and improvement in the student learning experience and outcomes.