Active transport conceptual assessment (ATCA): a new tool for supporting the teaching and learning of physiology

The physiological processes involved in the movement of molecules across a cell membrane form the basis for understanding several core concepts of physiology. A 10-item, two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test was developed to evaluate first-year physiology students’ knowledge of active transport across the cell membrane. The diagnostic test was developed by collating common mistakes and areas of troublesome knowledge from tutorial worksheets, academic discussions, and the literature. A list of propositional statements was constructed, and questions were developed from these statements. The test was further refined following dialogue with students and physiology teaching staff. Analysis of the responses from two cohorts of first-year Human Physiology students (n = 886) demonstrated the assessment had a wide range of difficulty and good discrimination. Students performed better on the tier-one questions (What?) compared to the tier 2 questions (Why?). Several misconceptions were identified around the transport of glucose across the membrane, the predominant ions in the extracellular and intracellular fluids, and the role of ATP in active membrane transport. This diagnostic information can be used as a learning tool for students as a self-testing strategy, and for teachers as a method to evaluate and modify teaching practices.