Learning as a verb: a framework to engage students with hands-on active learning in physiology.

There is a growing expectation for tertiary educators to engage students in an array of hands-on and interactive activities throughout the semester. In physiology, this is relatively simple to perform during practical laboratories but presents some challenges when trying to use active learning approaches during more traditional sessions, such as lectures and tutorials. In addition, finding activities that not only promote learning, but also consolidate knowledge and thus encourage the revision and recollection of prior week’s content from the subject, can be difficult within a busy curriculum.

This study assessed the literature and collected data from key stakeholders including students and staff, to develop The CRAFTS Framework, an evidence-based approach that can be used as a guide for educators. For its evaluation, each week across a 12-week physiology subject, an activity was trialled to assess its suitability under the framework. This included using building bricks, modelling clay, creating videos, and working through a role play.

The results suggest that interactive sessions should allow students the ability to create content that can be revisited after the class to assist with revision. The content should be relevant for all students, directly related to the curriculum, accessible and equitable in their use, and fun to create. Any resource development should be tailored to the specific group, and all generated content should be scholarly, where it can be proofread or checked for accuracy. Overall, The CRAFTS framework presents an evidence-based approach to encouraging hands-on activities that can be used for knowledge consolidation within a tertiary course.