Abstract:

In physics courses, meaningful learning is an important issue. Applications of physics to different topics require students to know the concepts significantly. As in any science, new knowledge emerges when new information interacts substantively with specifically relevant knowledge in the learner's cognitive structure. What the student already knows is the starting point of this process. If this precondition does not exist, it will be necessary to construct it (cognitive bridges). However, this is a difficult task due to the characteristics of each student, science, and its contents. Here we show that a resistor–capacitor (RC) circuit serves as a cognitive bridge between the physical principles of electrical circuits and the electronic conduction of the axon. We find that the charging process of a lossy RC circuit acts as a cognitive bridge to meaningfully understand this type of conduction in axons. The procedure obtained is compatible with the theory of conceptual fields and organization levels of meaningful learning such as the progressive differentiation and integrative reconciliation. The method used allows us to observe signs of significant learning. Our results show how to create and modify potentially meaningful knowledge of the cognitive structure by using an RC circuit in the context of nerve conduction. Our ideas can be generalized to other teaching-learning episodes in the physics course in the Pharmacy Degree.

Keywords:

Meaningful learning, learning strategies, conceptual fields, RC circuit, electrotonic conduction.