Concept mapping a potential pedagogical strategy to foster meaningful learning in physiology students.

BACKGROUND: Understanding of human physiology is critical for clinical practice and disease management. Escalating the teaching-learning method to improve conceptual knowledge may help the students to apply their knowledge in clinical scenarios. The present study was conducted to teach the use of concept mapping as a learning strategy to foster meaningful learning in physiology, compare its impact as a learning tool with traditional methods on meaningful learning, assess the cognitive gain, and find student's perception regarding concept mapping. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The interventional study was conducted on first-year MBBS students. Depending upon marks obtained in previous internal assessments, the students were classified into "rapid learners" (RL) and "potential learners" (PL). By simple random sampling technique, both groups were divided into interventional (concept mapping) and control groups (question-answer discussion). After a pretest, all students had a lecture on glomerular filtration. The assignment was given to the interventional group to prepare a concept map on glomerular filtration, and question-answer were discussed for control groups. A surprise posttest was conducted after 2-3 days. RESULT: In our study, all four groups showed significant differences in the pretest and posttest scores using a paired t-test (P < 0.05). The mean score of gain in learning, raw gain (G0), absolute learning gain, relative learning gain, and average normalized gain compared between the interventional group and controls group showed statistically significant performance improvement in both RL and PL groups. CONCLUSION: The concept mapping strategy was more efficacious than the question-answer discussion. Concept mapping is an impactful learning tool to improve cognitive gain and potential pedagogical strategy to foster meaningful learning in physiology students.

Learning process of implementing a cutaneous leishmaniasis capacity-building program, using an innovative pedagogy for rural populations in Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Participatory approaches to health often link capacity building as an indispensable process for strengthening the social capital of communities, in order to develop empowerment processes that lead to social transformation at the local level. In Pueblo Rico (Colombia), a capacity-building program in cutaneous leishmaniasis and social skills for community work was implemented with school students, health workers and local leaders. This article seeks to evaluate the implementation, results, and impact of that program. METHODS: Primary data were collected through participant observation, questioners, the development of artistic products, and a focus group. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed through thematic analysis, and the quantitative data were quantitively coded and analyzed. RESULTS: The capacity-building program had positive results in terms of the three aspects evaluated: the pedagogical model's implementation, the learning process, and the impact of the program. Three key elements that contributed to the success of the program were identified: the application of the principles of meaningful learning as a guide for the pedagogical model, the use of Social Innovation in Health case studies to broaden participant's perspective, and the creation of artistic products as facilitators for the appropriation of knowledge. CONCLUSION: Participatory pedagogical models adequate to the context and its participants allow the implementation of effective training programs that develop capacities within the communities. To achieve a significant impact, it is necessary to ensure the continuity and long-term sustainability of capacity building through transfer of knowledge with cooperation between health institutions and the community. In this way, the capacities developed by the community constitute a valuable social capital for achieving transformations within and outside the health field.

Alfabetización en salud: proceso de aprendizaje significativo personal y comunitario / Health literacy: meaningful personal and community learning process

El aprendizaje y la salud son dos elementos vinculados entre sí. El hecho de cuidar de la salud requiere del aprendizaje de conocimientos, habilidades, comportamientos y actitudes que se desarrollan a lo largo de nuestra vida. Los aprendizajes relacionados con la salud comportan estilos de vida más saludables, la mejora del bienestar, la calidad de vida y la salud de la comunidad. El aprendizaje significativo transforma las vidas, abriendo nuevas oportunidades, posibilitando nuevas competencias y formando nuevas redes sociales. Este artículo pretende reflexionar sobre la relación entre elementos de la alfabetización en salud y el proceso de aprendizaje significativo. (AU)

Learning and health are both interrelated aspects. The act of looking after health requires learning knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that develop throughout our lives. Health-related learning leads to healthier lifestyles, improved well-being, better quality of life and community health. Significant learning transforms lives, paving the way towards new opportunities, enabling new skills and forming new social networks. This paper aims to reflect on the relationship between aspects of health literacy and the meaningful learning process. (AU)

How simulated patients contribute to student learning in an authentic way, an interview study.

INTRODUCTION: Simulated patients (SPs) play an instrumental role in teaching communication skills and enhancing learning outcomes. Prior research mostly focused on the SP's contribution to students' learning outcomes by providing feedback afterwards. A detailed understanding of the contribution of the SP during SP-student encounters is currently lacking although the majority of the interaction between SPs and students occurs during the SP-student encounter. Therefore, this study focuses on how SPs see their contribution to meaningful student learning experiences during SP-student encounters. METHODS: We interviewed fifteen simulated patients from one institution. We explored their perspectives on meaningful learning experiences during SP-student encounters through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: SPs view their contribution to meaningful student learning during SP-student encounters from two perspectives. A collective perspective as a member of the community of SPs and an individual perspective. From the collective perspective, SPs believe that the fact that students deal with multiple varied SP-student encounters over time is of value for meaningful learning. From the individual perspective, we noticed that SPs think, act, and react from three different positions. First, as the patient in the role description, second, as a teaching aid and third, as an individual with personal experiences, beliefs, and values. SPs mentioned that the ratio between these different positions can vary within and between encounters. CONCLUSIONS: According to SPs, we should value the variation between SPs, thereby creating meaningful variation in authentic interactions in SP-student encounters. SPs should be allowed to act and react from different positions during SP-student encounters, including their role description, as teaching aid, and based on their own experiences. In this way, SP-student encounters are optimized to contribute to meaningful student learning through authenticity.

Aprendizaje significativo y su aplicación en la educación médica / Meaningful Learning and its Application in Medical Education

Introducción: El aprendizaje significativo se genera a partir de que el alumno es constructor de su propio conocimiento, relaciona los conceptos a aprender y les da un sentido según la estructura conceptual que ya posee. Objetivo: Exponer las experiencias socializadas por autores que promueven el aprendizaje significativo en la educación médica. Métodos: Se utilizó el método científico análisis del contenido, a partir de informaciones disponibles en la biblioteca electrónica en línea SciELO y el motor de búsqueda de Google Académico, teniendo en cuenta los diez últimos años: 2011 (enero) hasta diciembre de 2021. Después de aplicados los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, fueron seleccionados y analizados 16 artículos académicos. Resultados: El 56,25 por ciento utilizó un diseño de tipo cualitativo y las muestras utilizadas oscilaron entre un mínimo de 7 hasta un máximo de 246 estudiantes. Medicina se mostró como la carrera que más estudiaba el aprendizaje de tipo significativo. El aprendizaje basado en problemas en formato intracurricular constituyó la metodología más usada para desarrollarlo. Las principales limitaciones reportadas tuvieron relación con el instrumento y la muestra. Conclusiones: Se hace necesario realizar investigaciones para estudiar el aprendizaje significativo en estudiantes de las ciencias de la salud. De esta manera se podrían tener resultados contextualizados para realizar comparaciones que contribuirían a precisar los diferentes factores que se ven involucrados en el desarrollo de dicha teoría(AU)

Introduction: Meaningful learning is generated from the fact that the student is the constructor of his or her own knowledge, relates the concepts to be learned, and gives them a meaning based on the already existing conceptual structure. Objective: To present the experiences socialized by authors who promote meaningful learning in medical education. Methods: The scientific method of content analysis was used, based on information available in the SciELO online electronic library and the Google Scholar search engine, taking into account the last ten years: January 2011 to December 2021. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 academic articles were selected and analyzed. Results: 56.25 percent used a qualitative design, while the used samples ranged from a minimum of 7 to a maximum of 246 students. Medicine was shown as the major that most studied meaningful learning. Problem-based learning in the intracurricular format was the most used methodology to develop it. The main reported limitations were related to the instrument and the sample. Conclusions: It is necessary to conduct research to study meaningful learning in health sciences students. In this way, contextualized results could be obtained to make comparisons that would contribute to clarify the different factors involved in the development of this theory (AU)

Ausubel's meaningful learning re-visited.

This review provides a critique of David Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning and the use of advance organizers in teaching. It takes into account the developments in cognition and neuroscience which have taken place in the 50 or so years since he advanced his ideas, developments which challenge our understanding of cognitive structure and the recall of prior learning. These include (i) how effective questioning to ascertain previous knowledge necessitates in-depth Socratic dialogue; (ii) how many findings in cognition and neuroscience indicate that memory may be non-representational, thereby affecting our interpretation of student recollections; (iii) the now recognised dynamism of memory; (iv) usefully regarding concepts as abilities or simulators and skills; (v) acknowledging conscious and unconscious memory and imagery; (vi) how conceptual change involves conceptual coexistence and revision; (vii) noting linguistic and neural pathways as a result of experience and neural selection; and (viii) recommending that wider concepts of scaffolding should be adopted, particularly given the increasing focus on collaborative learning in a technological world.

Practical way to apply fourth-generation assessment tools integrated into creating meaningful learning experiences in biology at high school.

The learning process for a Biology topic regarding organisms and animal kingdom diversity was investigated through an innovative Interactive Didactic Sequence (IDS) which integrated the idea of "concept maps" with the Hermeneutic-Dialectic Circle (HDC). HDC is a tool for data collection and a reference for pluralist-constructivist thinking, considered a form of fourth-generation evaluation. Hofstede's cultural dimensions were also integrated into the investigation in order to facilitate mediation in an evaluative context. Students' performances (N = 25) from a São Paulo-Brazil public school were statistically evaluated. Their cultural profile was determined via the Hofstede Value Survey Model 1994 questionnaire. The elaborative process of arranging concept maps was individual (CM-individual) and integrated with HDC in groups (CM-HDC). Concept map assessment methods were based off existing literature. An improvement in students' performances (p < 0.05) that presented concept maps integrated to HDC in a more complex structure when compared to individually-built maps was observed. Employment of HDC helped form motivational/interactive dialogues between students and teachers, which, in turn, assisted in achieving greater learning through the use of concept maps. The application of the fourth-generation evaluation was improved via knowledge regarding students' cultural profiles.

Implantação e desenvolvimento dos núcleos de educação: a percepção dos coordenadores / Implementation and development of education nucleus: the perception of the coordinators

Resumo Objetivou-se compreender a percepção dos coordenadores dos Núcleos de Educação Permanente em Saúde sobre o processo de implantação e desenvolvimento desses núcleos no estado da Paraíba. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, descritiva, realizada com oito Coordenadores dos Núcleos de Educação Permanente em Saúde dos Serviços do Estado da Paraíba, nos meses de julho e agosto de 2021. As entrevistas foram coletadas por meio de roteiro semiestruturado e verificadas por intermédio da análise de conteúdo temática. Os coordenadores destacaram aspectos facilitadores no processo de implementação dos núcleos, especialmente no que se refere ao trabalho colaborativo e compartilhamento das ações para viabilização do processo educativo. Elencaram-se como fragilidades a falta de recursos humanos e a ausência de um planejamento sistemático que possa assegurar uma continuidade das ações de acordo com as necessidades setoriais. Destacou-se o esforço dos coordenadores para desenvolver atividades e garantir a viabilização da ação educativa nos serviços, entretanto faz-se necessário o apoio institucional para garantia do desenvolvimento essencial dos núcleos tanto na destinação de recursos humanos quanto na promoção do debate acerca da ressignificação das propostas de Educação Permanente em Saúde à luz dos referenciais sobre metodologias ativas.

Abstract The study aimed to understand the perception of the coordinators of the Continuing Health Education Centers about the process of implementation and development of these centers in the state of Paraíba. This is a qualitative, descriptive research, carried out with eight coordinators of the Continuing Health Education Centers from the Services of the State of Paraíba, between the months of July and August 2021. The interviews were collected using a semi-structured script and verified by using thematic content analysis. The coordinators highlighted facilitating aspects in the implementation process of the centers, especially with regard to collaborative work and sharing of actions to make the education process feasible. The lack of human resources and the absence of a systematic planning that could assure the continuity of actions according to sectorial needs were listed as weaknesses. The effort of the coordinators to develop the activities and ensure the feasibility of educational action in the services was highlighted, but institutional support is needed to ensure the essential development of the centers, both in the allocation of human resources and in promoting the debate on the redefinition of the Continuing Health Education proposals in the light of references on active methodologies.

Comparación del rendimiento académico basado en metodología TBL y metodología tradicional de enseñanza en estudiantes de odontología en Santiago de Chile / Comparison of academic. Performance based on TBL methodology and traditional teaching methodology in dentistry students in Santiago de Chile

INTRODUCCION Con el pasar de los años han surgido metodologías activas de enseñanza, donde el estudiante pasa a tener un rol protagonista. La metodología activa Team Based Learning (TBL) promueve la participación de los estudiantes tanto de manera individual como grupal permitiendo fomentar el aprendizaje y aplicar contenidos enseñados. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar el rendimiento académico obtenido por los estudiantes en la asignatura de cariología mediante metodología tradicional en los años 2016, 2017 y 2018; y metodología TBL en el año 2019. MATERIAL Y METODOS Se realizó un diseño analítico transversal donde se compararon los promedios de calificaciones de certámenes 1 y 2 de cariología de los estudiantes de la carrera de Odontología de la Universidad Finis Terrae entre los años 2016 y 2019; dicha población se estratificó en función de año académico y tipo de metodología. RESULTADOS Los resultados muestran que el promedio de las calificaciones de los certámenes 1 y 2 de cariología obtenido por los estudiantes mediante metodología tradicional de aprendizaje fue de 4,79 y mediante metodología TBL es de 5,01, existiendo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre ambos grupos de estudio (p = 0,03). CONCLUSION El rendimiento académico en cariología, obtenido por los estudiantes mediante metodología TBL el año 2019 fue significativamente mayor que aquel obtenido por los estudiantes mediante metodología tradicional en los años 2016, 2017 y 2018.

INTRODUCTION Over the years, active teaching methodologies have emerged, where the student play a leading role. The active Team Based Learning (TBL) methodology promotes participation of students both individually and in groups allowing to promote the learning and applying taught content. The aim of this study was to compare the academic performanc he students in the subject of cariology through traditional methodology in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018; and TBL methodology in 2019. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional analytical design was conducted where the grade point of test 1 and 2 of cariology of Dentistry students from University Finis Terrae between the years 2016 and 2019, were averaged. The population was stratified according to academic year and type of methodology. RESULTS The results show that the average of the qualifications of test 1 and 2 of cariology obtained by students through traditional learning methodology was 4.79 and through TBL methodology is 5.01, there being a statistically significant difference between both study groups (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION The academic performance in cariology, obtained by the students through the TBL methodology on year 2019 was significantly higher than that obtained by the students through the methodology traditional in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018

Expanding disciplinary and interdisciplinary core idea maps by students to promote perceived self-efficacy in learning science.

Background: The goal of this research was to determine students' perceived self-efficacy in science classes through involving students in expanding disciplinary core idea (DCI) and interdisciplinary core idea (ICI) maps, as a method to visualize knowledge (utilizing mind mapping and concept mapping) to support students to integrate interdisciplinary learning. The research involved (a) creating (by science educators) eight curriculum-related, disciplinary core idea maps and two interdisciplinary core idea maps; (b) teachers guiding students in an experimental group, to make interdisciplinary connections so as to expand DCI and ICI maps in an intervention lasting a year and a half from grade 10 to 11; (c) providing feedback on students' developed DCI and ICI maps; (d) administering questionnaires seeking students' perceptions about their self-efficacy towards core ideas, both before and after the intervention and (e) interviewing science teachers (5) and selected students (25), after the intervention, about their perceptions towards the use and outcomes of their DCI and ICI maps. Besides the experimental group, a control group (no intervention) was involved. Results: Outcomes showed that the intervention (guiding students in creating disciplinary and interdisciplinary core idea maps to visualize their learning) supported students significantly in their perceived self-efficacy in the fields of Life Science and Earth Science, plus in the use of Models and Systems. In Physics and Chemistry, the students' perceived self-efficacy was not statistically significantly positive after the conducted intervention. This stemmed from disciplinary core ideas, related to Physics and Chemistry, being more abstract, with students making fewer connections and integrating less new knowledge into the related DCI and ICI maps. In the interviews, both teachers and students stated that the intervention (including expansion of DCI and ICI maps) supported students' science learning. Conclusions: Creating and expanding disciplinary and interdisciplinary core ideas more clearly indicates students' learning, through their ability to make meaningful connections, enabling students to raise their self-efficacy in preparing for their future. The results from this research demonstrate that students' perceived self-efficacy can occur through knowledge visualization by expanding both DCI and ICI maps enabling the making of greater interdisciplinary connections.

The effectiveness of the metabolic map in promoting meaningful learning.

CONTEXT: Many medical students and practicing physicians view biochemistry, especially its metabolic pathways, as a challenging topic given the depth of material. Medical biochemistry educators aim to help prepare future physicians to apply knowledge of metabolism to disease processes. Research confirms that study tools promote critical thinking and help to connect biochemistry concepts to health and disease processes. OBJECTIVES: To explore whether the Pathways of Human Metabolism Map as a study tool helps to connect basic metabolic pathways to clinical applications. METHODS: We provided the Pathways of Human Metabolism Map to our first-year osteopathic medical students and conducted a survey to assess their perceptions. Our survey questions aimed to explore the effectiveness of utilizing the metabolic map for connecting the basic metabolic pathways to clinical applications on their studies. Students were surveyed at the end of the course utilizing a Qualtrics survey encompassing Likert scale questions as well as open-ended responses. RESULTS: The results of our comprehensive survey questions revealed the unique perceptions of students. Analysis of our data implicates that study tools like the metabolic map inspire meaningful learning. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that students who utilized the metabolic map in their studies reported that utilizing the map improved their understanding of medical biochemistry. Our research results suggest that providing study aids like the metabolic map encourages students to minimize rote memorization and promotes integration with clinical context. Our results provide a support for study strategies that implement meaningful learning in medical education.

Experiencia inédita de enseñar via remota procedimientos restauradores directos e indirectos a través de la plataforma Zoom usando el modelo de simulación nivel 1 en tiempos de COVID-19: Clínica Integral del Adulto III y IV 2021 / Unprecedented experience of teaching direct and indirect restorative procedures through the Zoom platform using the type 2 simulation model in times of COVID-19: Integral Adult Clinic III and IV 2021

RESUMEN La COVID-19 y la continuidad de la emergencia sanitaria han generado que durante el 2021 se mantenga el distanciamiento social y los cuidados en el aforo de los espacios públicos. Esto ha ocasionado que la presencialidad a clases aún se vea afectada, obligando a que las instituciones de educación superior continúen via remota sus actividades. La carrera de odontología es eminentemente práctica, en ese sentido muchos de los cursos tuvieron que experimentar una adecuación a esta nueva contingencia. En el presente artículo se presentan las adecuaciones, estrategias y metodologías en dos cursos de carrera eminentemente clínicos que se imparten en el sexto y séptimo ciclo de la carrera de odontológia de la Facultad de Estomatología de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, denominados Clínica Integral del Adulto III y Clínica Integral del Adulto IV que se imparten en el primer y segundo semestre de cada año. Se muestra como se llevó a cabo estos cursos usando la plataforma Zoom via remota y un modelo de simulación nivel 1 (Maqueta-UPCH) con el objetivo de llevar a cabo la adquisición de competencias por parte de los alumnos. Esta es una experiencia inédita nunca antes descrita a la fecha.

ABSTRACT COVID-19 and the continuity of the health emergency have led to the maintenance of social distancing and care in the capacity of public spaces during 2021. This continues to cause attendance at classes to be affected, forcing higher education institutions to continue their activities remotely. The dentistry career is eminently practical, in that sense many courses had to experience an adaptation to this new contingency. This article presents the adaptations, strategies and methodologies in two eminently clinical career courses that are taught in the sixth and seventh cycle of the dentistry career of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University, called Integral Adult Clinic. III and Integral Clinic for Adults IV, which are taught in the first and second semesters of each year. It shows how these courses were carried out using the Zoom platform remotely and a level 1 simulation model (Manenquin-UPCH) with the aim of carrying out the acquisition of skills by the students. This is an unprecedented experience never before described to date.

Experiência de disciplinas do Programa de Estágio Supervisionado de Capacitação Docente na pósgraduação: reflexão e potência no ensino superior / Experiencia de asignaturas do Programa de Pasantía Supervisada de Capacitación Docente en el postgrado: reflexión y potencia en la enseñanza superior / Experience of disciplines from the Supervised Internship Program for Teachers' Training in graduate studies: reflection and potency in higher education

Apresenta-se uma experiência na formação para a docência do ensino superior nas disciplinas que compõem o Programa de Estágio Supervisionado de Capacitação Docente. Os principais desafios relatados pelos pós-graduandos no contato com seus estudantes foram: o conflito geracional, a aprendizagem empírica do fazer do professor e a frágil apropriação de conceitos educacionais. Os desafios das docentes na condução das disciplinas perpassam a mediação da aprendizagem na quebra de paradigmas; e o estímulo à prática reflexiva e à aprendizagem significativa. As disciplinas permitiram, na avaliação discente, a análise crítica do seu papel social; a gestão do processo educativo; a aproximação de conceitos e de estratégias educacionais; e mudanças na prática. Espera-se que este relato possa inspirar outros programas e apoiar iniciativas que considerem rever o papel da pós-graduação na formação para a docência. (AU)

Se presenta una experiencia en la formación para la docencia de la enseñanza superior juntamente con las asignaturas que componen el Programa de Pasantía Supervisada de Capacitación Docente. Los principales desafíos relatados por los alumnos de postgrado en el contacto con sus estudiantes fueron: el conflicto generacional, el aprendizaje empírico del quehacer del profesor, la frágil apropiación de conceptos educativos. Los desafíos de las docentes en la dirección de las asignaturas atraviesan la mediación del aprendizaje en la ruptura de paradigmas, el incentivo a la práctica reflexiva y al aprendizaje significativo. Las asignaturas permitieron, en la evaluación discente, el análisis crítico de su papel social, la gestión del proceso educativo, la aproximación de conceptos y estrategias educativas y cambios en la práctica. Se espera que este relato pueda inspirar otros Programas y dar apoyo a iniciativas que consideren la revisión del papel del postgrado en la formación para la docencia. (AU)

An experience in training for teaching in higher education is presented in the subjects encompassed by the Supervised Internship Program for Teacher Education. The main challenges reported by graduate students were: generational conflict; the empirical learning of the teacher's doing; the fragile appropriation of educational concepts. The challenges faced by teachers in conducting the disciplines permeate the mediation of learning by breaking paradigms and encouraging reflection of the practice and meaningful learning. The subjects allowed, in the student evaluation, the critical analysis of their social role; the management of the educational process; the approximation of educational concepts and strategies; and changes in practice. It is hoped that this report can inspire other programs and support initiatives that consider reviewing the role of graduate studies in teacher education. (AU)

Contribuições do ensino híbrido e da neurociência para o processo de ensino-aprendizagem / Contributions of hybrid teaching and Neuroscience to the teaching learning process

Este artigo propõe uma reflexão acerca do que é possível observar nos estudantes de hoje, revelando a importância das adaptações curriculares para o sucesso das aprendizagens, e que cada estudante é único e precisa ser visto dentro de suas particularidades, e, dessa forma, propor uma educação com condições de construir conhecimento de forma consciente e significativa, uma educação para todos. Para compreender melhor o processo de ensino-aprendizagem, a Neurociência aplicada à educação, junto com outras vertentes, ajuda a despertar a curiosidade e o interesse de como esse estudante aprende e como tudo isso fica guardado na memória e nas conexões cerebrais. É importante ressignificar os conhecimentos e abrir espaço para a contribuição da Neurociência e a adequação para o ensino híbrido, utilizando esses novos recursos, acompanhamentos e adaptações curriculares para a aprendizagem e desenvolvimento dos estudantes com dificuldades de aprendizagem.

This article proposes a reflection on what is possible to observe in today's students, revealing the importance of curricular adaptations for the success of learning, and that each student is unique and needs to be seen within its particularities, and thus proposing an education with conditions to build knowledge in a conscious and meaningful way, an education for all. In order to better understand the teaching process, learning Neuroscience applied to education, along with other aspects, help to arouse curiosity and interest in how this student learns and how all this is kept in memory and brain connections. It is important to reframe knowledge and open space for the contribution of Neuroscience and the adequacy for hybrid teaching, using these new resources, accompaniments and curricular adaptations for the learning and development of students with learning difficulties.

The contribution of simulated patients to meaningful student learning.

INTRODUCTION: Communication training with simulated patients (SPs) is widely accepted as a valuable and effective means of teaching communication skills. However, it is unclear which elements within SP-student encounters make these learning experiences meaningful. This study focuses on the SP's role during meaningful learning of the student by giving an in-depth understanding of the contribution of the SP from a student perspective. METHODS: Fifteen bachelor Technical Medicine students were interviewed. Technical medicine students become technical physicians who optimize individual patient care through the use of personalized technology. Their perceptions of meaningful learning experiences during SP-student encounters were explored through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified that described what students considered to be important for meaningful learning experiences. First, SPs provide implicit feedback-in-action. Through this, students received an impression of their communication during the encounter. Implicit feedback-in-action was perceived as an authentic reaction of the SPs. Second, implicit feedback-in-action could lead to a process of reflection-in-action, meaning that students reflect on their own actions during the consultation. Third, interactions with SPs contributed to students' identity development, enabling them to know themselves on a professional and personal level. DISCUSSION: During SP encounters, students learn more than just communication skills; the interaction with SPs contributes to their professional and personal identity development. Primarily, the authentic response of an SP during the interaction provides students an understanding of how well they communicate. This raises issues whether standardizing SPs might limit opportunities for meaningful learning.

O uso de mapas conceituais e curtas metragens de temática química no estudo de temas da Sociologia / The use of conceptual maps and short films about chemical theme in the study of sociology themes

O objetivo deste estudo interdisciplinar foi usar curtas metragens produzidos por estudantes do ensino médio sobre temas da Química para o ensino de Sociologia. Neste sentido, foram produzidos mapas conceituais pelos estudantes, após a discussão dos curtas metragens, sob uma perspectiva sociológica. Nossos resultados mostram que os mapas conceituais podem atuar como instrumentos facilitadores para a aprendizagem, capazes de estimular a pesquisa e promover a autonomia dos estudantes durante o processo de construção do conhecimento.

The aimof this interdisciplinary study was useshort films produced by high school students about chemical themes to Sociology teaching. In this way, conceptual maps were constructedby students after short films discussion under a social perspective. Our results showed that conceptual maps could act as facilitating learning instrument, able to stimulate research and to promote student autonomy during the knowledge construction process.

Report on the online course "Basic Concepts in Neurophysiology": a course promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine.

"Basic Concepts in Neurophysiology" was a 3-wk online course developed during six synchronous meetings combined with asynchronous activities. We proposed an active learning course that used free online platforms to teach physiology during a period in which undergraduates were not in classrooms or taking online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we report the course organization and the students' involvement in, acceptance of, and evaluation of the course. To address the students' perceptions about these points, we sent a questionnaire to 49 participants who finished the course. We found that although most students (52.5%) had never taken a course with similar methods before, almost all of them (95%) liked the flipped class model. Additionally, a majority of the students (92.5%) said that the method increased their study frequency during the social distancing period, which is an important aspect to consider during this challenging time for both students and professors.

Aprendizaje significativo de bioseguridad a través de infografías interactivas / Meaningful learning about biosafety through interactive infographics

Introducción: La implementación de diversos recursos interactivos en el aula fomenta nuevas estrategias educativas y edifica experiencias innovadoras entre docentes y estudiantes. En este sentido, la infografía, como objeto de aprendizaje, complementa el contenido disponible en los entornos virtuales y genera ambientes de aprendizaje reflexivos, cooperativos y autónomos. Objetivo: Identificar las apreciaciones, actitudes, experiencias y perspectivas en relación con el aprendizaje significativo de bioseguridad mediante el uso de infografías. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo a través de la técnica de grupos focales. Se preparó un guion entorno a las inquietudes obtenidas a partir de la retroalimentación y se formularon varias preguntas que fueron grabadas en audio. Para el análisis del discurso se definieron categorías básicas, las cuales se ajustaron conforme se revisaron los testimonios, según el método de la teoría fundamentada. Una vez identificadas las categorías se procedió a triangular el objetivo, los documentos y los estudios previos. Resultados: Se integró y analizó el contenido de la transcripción de los grupos focales. Se construyeron cuatro categorías básicas, que abarcaron la comprensión del estudiante con respecto a la función formativa del proceso, el empoderamiento de los estudiantes, el manejo de conflictos y algunas sugerencias de mejora desde la perspectiva del estudiante. Conclusiones: La técnica de grupos focales resultó una herramienta valiosa para conocer el desarrollo de nuevos contenidos digitales, a través de las infografias como una estrategia didáctica, evidente en procesos educativos dinámicos, flexibles, participativos y motivadores, que impulsan el aprendizaje significativo, el trabajo colaborativo y el pensamiento crítico(AU)

Introduction: Implementation of various interactive resources in the classroom encourages new educational strategies and builds innovative experiences among professors and students. In this respect, infographics, as a learning object, complements the content available in virtual environments and generates reflective, cooperative and autonomous learning environments. Objective: To identify appreciations, attitudes, experiences and perspectives regarding the meaningful learning of biosafety through the use of infographics. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out using the focus group technique. A script was prepared based on the concerns obtained from feedback, several questions were formulated and, later on, the answers were recorded on audio. For discourse analysis, basic categories were defined and adjusted as the testimonies were reviewed, based on the grounded theory method. Once the categories were identified, the objective, the documents and the previous studies were triangulated. Results: The contents of the focus groups' transcript were integrated and analyzed. Four basic categories were constructed, which included students' understanding of the formative function of the process, students' empowerment, management of conflicts, and some suggestions for improvement based on the students' perspective. Conclusions: The focus group technique was a valuable tool for learning about the development of new digital content, through infographics as a didactic strategy, a fact evident in dynamic, flexible, participatory and motivating educational processes that promote meaningful learning, collaborative work and critical thinking(AU)

Preparing student teachers for real classrooms through virtual vicarious experiences of critical incidents during remote practicum: A meaningful-experiential learning perspective.

The Covid-19 pandemic has precipitated dramatic changes in education systems around the world and pre-service teacher preparation programs have been notably impacted by the associated difficulties and constraints. Due to lockdown of universities and schools, practicum placements had to shift from in-person to virtual learning environments. However, being a practical classroom activity, practicum posed particular challenges that prompted teacher educators to make adjustments in their pedagogical strategies to meet the course requirements. The present study reports on the first cycle of an action research project undertaken to respond to the practicum crisis caused by the Covid-19 restrictions. Conducted with eleven practicum students, this research investigated whether engaging student teachers in vicarious experiences of critical incidents through Kolb's experiential learning cycle via a collaborative virtual application could create meaningful learning. The results indicated that the intervention process had the characteristics of active, constructive, authentic, intentional, and collaborative, and as well it led to improvements in practicum students' domain-specific knowledge and skills. Despite a few number of concerns raised, which will be utilized to refine the future implementations of the first action plan, the practicum students reported that this experience supported them during remote practicum and contributed positively to their development. Drawing on the results of the study, a series of rationales for the use of virtual vicarious experiences of critical incidents during Covid-19 and beyond are provided.

Relating human physiology content to COVID-19: a strategy to keep students in touch with physiology in times of social distance due to pandemic.

In 2020 universities had to quickly implement remote education alternatives as a result of the social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep students engaged with the university, we implemented a teaching-learning model that relates physiology contents to the COVID-19 pandemic using online educational platforms. A 1-mo web course was proposed for health sciences students from the Federal University of Pampa. It included synchronous meetings twice a week and asynchronous activities using scientific articles, case studies, and interactive online tools. The students approved the methodology developed, assessing it as dynamic and innovative. They reported that the activity helped to better understand the relations between COVID-19 and physiological systems. The web course also contributed to the identification of reliable sources of news and stimulated the sharing of scientific content with their families. We concluded that the use of online platforms contextualizing the physiology content considering current events helps students in learning human physiology and improves their abilities to apply this information to their daily life, in this specific case, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.