INNOVATIONS A N D I D E A S A SPINAL CIRCUITRY SIMULATOR AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR NEUROMUSCULAR PHYSIOLOGY Sean Maw, Jim Frank, and Glenn Greig Division of Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta TGG 2S2; Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3GI; and Nanometrics Incorporated, Kanata, Ontario K2K 2A1, Canada M any concepts in neuromuscular physiology can be difficult for instructors to teach and for students to understand. The behaviors of various components in neuromuscular systems do not always interact in obvious ways, and the function of hundreds of components can be very different from the function of just one or two ‘ ‘representatives. ’ ’ In this paper, a simulator is presented that can model both small and large spinal circuitry systems thus allowing students to explore the dynamic functional implications of the static circuitry diagrams that are common in many neuroscience textbooks. The simulator brings to life many concepts in neuromuscular physiology and permits students to explore such concepts without extensive supervi- sion. The benefits and drawbacks of using this kind of simulator in the classroom are discussed, based on initial field tests with undergraduate and graduate students as well as input from the literature. It was found that such a simulation can be very useful as a teaching tool if it is used properly with the right audience. AM. J PHYSIOL. 270 (ADVI PHYSIOL. EDUC. 15): S50-S68, 1996 Key words: neural modeling; simulation; population coding; computer-aided instruction One of the most fundamental tools that educators can employ in the course of their teaching is a diagram of the system under study. The picture describes the system topology and function to a certain level of abstraction. Figure 1 shows one type of diagram commonly used in neurophysiology to describe neural circuits, which are complex dynamic systems. The value of the diagram rests in how many concepts it illustrates. Figure 1 itemizes some of the compo- nents in the system, all of the high-level topology and flow, and some of the synaptic characteristics of the component interconnections. However, because the diagram is a static model of a dynamic system, it is also inherently inadequate in some ways. The pedagogical question is whether the benefits of the diagram outweigh its inadequacies, and the answer to that question varies with purpose and audience. For intro- ductions to neurophysiology, such simple diagrams can be important conceptual stepping stones, build- ing up schematasof knowledge in areas of study new to the student. The problem is that, in the neural sciences, diagrams such as Fig. 1 are the norm for audiences ranging from high school students to top researchers. In the course of their work, researchers can become aware of some of the inadequacies, but students are often not so well versed. Talking to the students about the shortcomings of the diagrams may be of some value, but it may also serve to confuse and diminish the original usefulness of the pictures. It can be quite difficult to explain the dynamic functioning of the circuits, and it is almost impossible to convey the 1043 - 4046 / 96 - $5.00 -COPYRIGHT o 1996 THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 15 : NUMBER I -ADVANCES IN PHYSIOLOGY EDUCATION -JUNE 1996 s50 by 10.220.33.5 on October 6, 2016 http://advan.physiology.org/ Downloaded from