Bridging basic physiology and clinical reasoning: student perceptions of a case-based collaborative activity with AI support

This study describes a simple, reproducible case-based collaborative activity in an introductory undergraduate physiology course in which students were permitted to use AI tools while solving clinical problems involving membrane transport disorders. The activity was associated with stronger perceived links between membrane transport and disease, greater confidence in mechanistic explanation, and continued reliance on peer discussion for deeper understanding. These findings suggest that AI can support, but should not replace, collaborative learning in physiology education.