Open-Source Laboratory Manual for Human Physiology

Three Johnson County Community College (JCCC) faculty members initiated a project to write a lab manual for Human Physiology. At the time, the department did not have an official lab manual, and the labs used consisted of a series of Word documents that were loosely shared between instructors. The labs did not have formalized introductions or any consistent format. Each instructor was required to print the labs for their students prior to class. Project goals included writing original wet-lab experiments that closely align with course objectives; having a formal introduction and consistent format for each existing lab; designing at least 16 total labs for the manual; adding a clinical approach to the labs to better prepare students for baccalaureate or professional programs in health care; and minimizing student costs by ensuring a price of no more than $12. The faculty members worked closely with library staff to ensure that the final product was free of copyright infringements, resulting in an official lab manual that serves our students and JCCC, selling for $7.99 in the college bookstore.

Innovators

• Corey Sullivan, Associate Professor, Human Science
• Kristin Thurlby, Associate Professor, Human Science
• Gwen Wright, Associate Professor, Human Science