In Pursuit of Meaningful Learning

The Bernard Distinguished Lecturers are individuals who have a history of experience and expertise in teaching that impacts multiple levels of health science education. Dr. Joel Michael more than meets these criteria. Joel earned a BS in biology from CalTech and a PhD in physiology from MIT following which he vigorously pursued his fascination with the mammalian central nervous system under continuous National Institutes of Health funding for a 15-yr period. At the same time, he became increasingly involved in teaching physiology, with the computer being his bridge between laboratory science and classroom teaching. Soon after incorporating computers into his laboratory, he began developing computer-based learning resources for his students. Observing students using these resources to solve problems led to an interest in the learning process itself. This in turn led to a research and development program, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), that applied artificial intelligence to develop smart computer tutors. The impact of problem solving on student learning became the defining theme of National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported research in health science education that gradually moved all of Dr. Michael's academic efforts from neurophysiology to physiology education by the early 1980's. More recently, Joel has been instrumental in developing and maintaining the Physiology Education Research Consortium, a group of physiology teachers from around the nation who collaborate on diverse projects designed to enhance learning of the life sciences. In addition to research in education and learning science, Dr. Michael has devoted much of his time to helping physiology teachers adopt modern approaches to helping students learn. He has organized and presented faculty development workshops at many national and international venues. The topics for these workshops have included computer-based education, active learning, problem-based learning, and the use of general models in teaching physiology.