Scientific methodologic mentoring: experience report in a public health academic subject

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Academic monitoring is used as a complementary tool for knowledge construction among higher education students. It works as a mechanism to aid and guide the students, as well as to develop the communication skills beyond the essential knowledge of the monitor. This study aims to report a monitoring experience using different teaching and evaluation strategies through active forms of learning, applying interdisciplinary theoretical and practical activities for medical students.

Experience report:

This experience report, developed in a public health curricular component of a medical undergraduate course at a federal public university in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, presents quantitative data and debates the knowledge acquired through the implementation of education project activities.

Discussion:

Four semesters were analyzed, comparing records obtained from online forms without identification of the respondents related to the participation of the theoretical and practical monitoring sessions, with a higher participation rate in practical activities (42.31% vs. 25.55%). The main motivations for students looking for monitoring meetings were identified, with explanation of a research simulation stage being the most requested one. Practical monitoring sessions received higher evaluations compared to theoretical ones, considering three aspects: activity importance, clarity and didactics of the monitor, and elucidation of doubts. It was observed a relevant variation in the time assigned to the meetings, with a more frequent duration session of 60 minutes for theoretical activities and 30 minutes for practical activities. The comparison of the proposed practical and theoretical activities implemented through active forms of learning in the monitoring project evidenced the knowledge addition for both students, monitor or monitored, in the teaching-learning process when they are actively engaged in their own education.

Conclusion:

From the monitor’s perspective, there was a strengthening of their own competencies related to scientific knowledge. Furthermore, a leveling of the class was observed regarding the basic content and a gradual progression towards critical thinking among health area students.

Keywords:
Monitoring; Epidemiologic Methods; Medicine; Public Health; Medical Education