Note: "Physiology eduction stream only" registration options are available.
Registration for the full scientific programme is inclusive of the Education stream. AuPS also offers "Education stream only' registration, to either attend the conference Brisbane. Futher details about the format of the educaiton stream will be available mid-year.
Assessment reform in physiology education has become increasingly urgent as expanding competency expectations, and generative artificial intelligence reshape how learning is demonstrated. Grounded in the principle that assessment steers learning, this symposium positions assessment as the anchor for educational reform and explores how standardised frameworks can align disciplinary values, curriculum design, and graduate outcomes. The session opens with international perspectives from the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), highlighting global efforts to refine core concepts, competencies, and assessment alignment, including revisions to the HAPS Comprehensive Exam. Building on this context, presenters examine how AI is transforming assessment design and introduce an AI-aware rubric framework that prioritises reasoning, authenticity, and transparency. A complementary presentation presents structured practical skills and competency assessment criteria as a secure modality for evaluating applied physiological understanding. The symposium concludes by positioning core concepts of physiology as conceptual infrastructure needed to sustain reform and align curriculum, assessment, and learning progression.
Chair: Dr Suzanne Estaphan , ANU and Dr Trevor Lewis, UNSW
This symposium explores principles for and examples of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perspectives and knowledges within physiology and biomedical science curricula. The session will begin with an overview of the Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) framework for integrating First Nations Australian content into science degrees, with discussion of how its principles can inform curriculum design in physiology. Presentations will then explore how Indigenous pedagogies can enrich the teaching of core physiological concepts. Speakers will demonstrate how educators can respectfully bridge knowledge systems and meaningfully integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into physiology learning. The symposium will also outline programmatic approaches developed at two universities with distinct educational contexts (The University of Queensland and Murdoch University) to progressively support the development of cultural capability, and examples of how to implement this. Together, these contributions outline key design principles and practical examples to support the meaningful and culturally sensitive embedding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perspectives and knowledges within physiology curricula.
Chair: Dr Luli Faber, University of Queensland and A/Prof Sarah Etherington, Murdoch University
Absract submissions for Free Communication and Poster sessions will open in August
The Michael Roberts Prize is awarded to AuPS members who have demonstrated a sustained performance of excellence in the delivery of physiology education at the tertiary level, and make a contribution to the teaching activities of AuPS.
This year the 2025 prize winners Assoc Prof Sarah Etherington will present the Education Prize Lecture at the conference.
We wish to thank our sponsors for their continued support of AuPS and our annual scientific meeting
