NEW! Science Foundation Modules Target Student Success

Available now in Oxford Insight, starting August 2025, are four brand new Science Foundation Modules designed to help students and faculty address the varying levels of background knowledge students bring with them to each course.

These optional modules aim to create an intuitive and interactive path toward success so that students will feel more confident coming into lecture and professors can use precious class time covering core course content instead of foundational topics.

• Action Potential Module
• Data Literacy Module
• Ion Channels Module
• Nervous System Module
• FAQs About the Foundation Modules

About the Action Potential Module

Understanding the action potential is essential for students in neuroscience. However, comprehension of the action potential requires mastery of material that most introductory students have not encountered. The Action Potential Module stands out as a unique resource, providing students with the tools necessary to understand the action potential. It includes an overview of concepts needed to understand what the action potential is, a step-by-step guide to how the action potential works, and unique interactive elements that engage students in the learning process.

Throughout my two decades of teaching, I have found the concept of action potential to be a significant obstacle for students in introductory neuroscience courses. With so much material to cover in an introductory course, the one to two weeks devoted to the action potential may not be sufficient for many students to fully understand the complexities of this process. The action potential module empowers students, allowing them to explore the various processes underlying the action potential at their own pace. The activities will provide them with the opportunity to understand the different components of the action potential and correct common misperceptions. Mastering the action potential in this way will give students the foundation for understanding how the brain functions.

About the Data Literacy Module

The Data Literacy Foundational Module supports students in developing core understandings, critical perspectives, and interpretative skills about quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. Using examples and assessment across disciplines, students will develop a foundation in this area that will allow them to be successful when engaging with research and data in their area of study.

As a developmental psychologist who works with engineers, chemists, physicists, neuroscientists, and others, I know that many of our disciplines depend on students being able to engage thoughtfully with research and data. Topics like validity and reliability, correlation and causation, research design, interpretation of graphs and charts, and knowing the parts of a research paper are fundamental to their engagement in scientific literature. This foundational module has been developed to offer instructors a tool to help incoming students develop the basis in these areas that they need to succeed. It is applicable across many disciplines in the social and life sciences, and can be used at the beginning of class to make sure students are prepared or across a course to reinforce these skills and understandings.

About the Ion Channels Module

Ion Channels are essential for all cells in the body but are especially important for a neuron’s specialized ability to communicate. The regulation of ion movement inside and outside of the cell is a complex topic which underlies the action potential, a neuron’s way of sending a message. However, it cannot fire an action potential without ion channels. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how they work to fully appreciate the action potential in addition to other cellular processes. The Ion Channels Foundational Module will provide students with the background knowledge to comprehend changes in ion concentration within neurons and how the movement of ions contributes to the overall voltage of a neuron.

While many courses jump right in to teaching the action potential, I believe students who have a strong grasp on ionic movement and ion channels have a deeper understanding of electrophysiology in neurons, which ultimately leads to a stronger ability to learn about neural signaling and the effects of opening and closing of ion channels due to physiological stimuli as well as external stimuli like drugs and toxins. Having this deeper understanding of the mechanisms of ion movement as opposed to simply memorizing the states of ions and ion channels within an action potential will allow students to apply logic in various situations and ultimately learn principles of electrophysiology.

About the Nervous System Module

The Nervous System Foundational Module provides students with the opportunity to review basic concepts, including the divisions of the nervous system, its major functions, neuroanatomy, physiology and cellular neuroscience. This module will allow students entering an introductory neuroscience course a chance to learn or review the basics before diving deeper into more advanced neuroscience topics.

As someone who teaches introductory neuroscience courses, I have found that students come into the classroom with a very diverse background in fundamental knowledge of these topics and it is often difficult to know how much time to spend as some students need more and others already know the basics from their biology courses. An asynchronous review of these foundational topics will allow instructors to move at a pace that is appropriate for the course while providing students the opportunity to catch up on fundamental neuroscience topics without falling behind or holding back their peers. This module can also be assigned to upper-level neuroscience courses that do not have introductory neuroscience as a prerequisite to allow students from other disciplines to learn the basics necessary to understand more advanced topics in the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a returning user, how do I add the Foundation Modules to my existing course?

If you are a returning user to Oxford Insight and have already customized your course, you will want to add the Science Foundation Modules to your existing course instead of starting from a fresh course in order to keep your customizations.

First, request that your OUP Publisher’s Representative send you a brand-new sample of your title and then follow the steps for Copying a Chapter Between Courses to add the modules to your existing course.

If I am a new Oxford Insight user, how do I get the Foundation Modules?

If you are a completely new user, please request a demo of Oxford Insight. If you have been sampled Oxford Insight before, please contact your OUP Publisher’s Representative and ask them to send you a brand-new sample of your title in Oxford Insight and it will include all of the relevant Foundation Modules for your course.

Where can I find the new Foundation Modules once I am logged into my Oxford Insight course?

The AI Literacy Module has been added to all new Oxford Insight courses and can be found in the Content area before the Front Matter.

You can find the brand-new Science Foundation Modules at the end of all chapter content in science titles only. Depending on the course you teach, the modules will vary.

Will more Foundation Modules be added in the future?

As of August 2025, available modules include the Nervous System, Action Potential, Ion Channels, Data Literacy, and AI Literacy. Coming in early 2026, there are additional modules on Cells and Membranes, Cell Signaling and Communication, and Microbiology.