Colaborative learning in health formation through a virtual environment: a qualitative approach
Abstract
Educational and Health tendencies are provoking deep reflections and concrete changes in
the way of facing health training. More and more, work in teams, in nets and collaborative learning are fostered, and the informatic tools used as a basis to achieve these competences. The objective of this work was that of evaluating, from a qualitaive perspective, the usefulness of a virtual environment for collaborative learning of a group of students during their Rural Internship. A case study design was used with a group of 11 students and one teacher of the Carreer of Obstetrics and Child Care. Triangulation was carried out by the information gathering technique and by investigator, to assure the credibility of the data. The information was grouped in a system of axes, with quadrants valued as positive, negative and intermediate positive and negative, for the extraction of results. The main perceptions were: unacquaintance of the students with the institutional policies related to collaborative methodologies, satisfaction of educational needs among students and between these and the teacher through the virtual environment, but with some aspects which hindered the process; there was learning in the use of informatic tools and opening toward other possible dimensions in use from the professional perspective; disorganized accomplishment of roles in the collaborative work, but with positive results. The process was favorably influenced, considering the exchange through the virtual environment effective and motivating.
