Timed physiology case
The student receives a fictional educational record with all necessary inputs and a declared time allowance. Trace a pathway, calculate a physiological quantity, and test the model’s limits rather than diagnose a person. Publish the selected level, task, references, and accommodations beforehand. The existing case defense remains one demonstration; the new learning-page practice is not another required practical.
| Criterion | Developing | Proficient | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systematic approach under time | Jumps around with no plan and loses the thread of the case. | Has a rough plan but skips a step or doubles back inefficiently as the clock runs. | Works a logical sequence, letting each step set up the next, and keeps the thread of the case from start to finish. |
| Correctness of the pathway or mechanism | Gets the pathway or mechanism wrong, or cannot begin one. | Gets the broad path right but misplaces a step or skips a structure. | Traces the pathway or mechanism correctly, in order, naming each structure and what it contributes. |
| Justification at each step | Asserts steps with no reason behind them. | Justifies some steps but leans on memorized lines for others. | Gives a physiological reason for each step — why this structure, why this order, why this effect. |
| Adapting to a changed assumption | Ignores a supplied change that affects the model. | Notices the change but needs help updating the reasoning. | Uses a fresh input or constraint to revise the calculation or pathway, naming what remains uncertain. |
| Reaching & defending a conclusion | Guesses an unsupported mechanism or treats a model as a diagnosis. | States a plausible result but omits support or an important limitation. | Defends the supported pathway or model result with units, evidence, and a meaningful limitation; accepts multiple explanations when the record cannot distinguish them. |
Integration is reported separately and cannot lower the science grade or block a science demonstration pass. Science and practical criteria determine that pass. Before assessment, publish the target list, task, permitted references, timing, and accommodations. Assess scientific reasoning and safe technique, not confidence or speaking speed.
“For the supplied 75 beats/min and 70 mL/beat, output is 5.25 L/min. If stroke volume falls to 50 mL/beat at the same rate, it becomes 3.75 L/min. I would also need oxygen content to calculate delivery; these numbers alone cannot distinguish pulmonary from circulatory causes or diagnose anyone.”
“It’s a heart thing, probably. Blood goes around the body. I’d have to guess where it’s actually going wrong.”
Observe the learner’s reasoning using a fresh record or assumption, not a rehearsed answer alone. A clock does not by itself prove independent work; honor approved timing and communication accommodations. No real patient records, personal measurements, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations belong in this defense.