Group Methodologies and Simulations for the Development of Transversal Skills: A Pilot Study on Health Sciences Higher Education

📝 Abstract

One of the methodologies based on group dynamics is Role Playing (RP). This method consists on the simulation of a real situation, allowing its study and understanding. Knowledge and technical skills are not the only prerequisites for proper practice in health sciences. RP has been used as Communication Skills Training (CST) amongst health professionals. In the teaching of odontology and stomatology, object of our research, dental assistance brings up situations where the professional must develop transversal skills, which improve the interaction with the patient and the dental treatment itself. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed RP methodology through the students’ opinion. The study sample is made out of dental students (n=80), all of them on the 4th year at the College of Dentistry (University of Seville, Spain). The students who took part in the activity considered the incorporation of RP in the syllabus as relevant, though further study should be considered in order to analyze the efficacy of this teaching methodology in depth.

💡 Analysis

One of the methodologies based on group dynamics is Role Playing (RP). This method consists on the simulation of a real situation, allowing its study and understanding. Knowledge and technical skills are not the only prerequisites for proper practice in health sciences. RP has been used as Communication Skills Training (CST) amongst health professionals. In the teaching of odontology and stomatology, object of our research, dental assistance brings up situations where the professional must develop transversal skills, which improve the interaction with the patient and the dental treatment itself. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed RP methodology through the students’ opinion. The study sample is made out of dental students (n=80), all of them on the 4th year at the College of Dentistry (University of Seville, Spain). The students who took part in the activity considered the incorporation of RP in the syllabus as relevant, though further study should be considered in order to analyze the efficacy of this teaching methodology in depth.

📄 Content

International Journal of Educational Excellence (2015) Vol. 1, No. 1, 93-109
ISSN 2373-5929

Group Methodologies and Simulations for the Development of Transversal Skills: A Pilot Study on Health Sciences Higher Education

Laura San Martín Galindo ab, Juan José Cabrera-Martinez b, Camilo Abalos-Labruzzi b and José Gómez-Galán c

Received: 27 September 2014 • Accepted: 19 December 2014

Abstract: One of the methodologies based on group dynamics is Role Playing (RP). This method consists on the simulation of a real situation, allowing its study and understanding. Knowledge and technical skills are not the only prerequisites for proper practice in health sciences. RP has been used as Communication Skills Training (CST) amongst health professionals. In the teaching of odontology and stomatology, object of our research, dental assistance brings up situations where the professional must develop transversal skills, which improve the interaction with the patient and the dental treatment itself. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed RP methodology through the students’ opinion. The study sample is made out of dental students (n=80), all of them on the 4th year at the College of Dentistry (University of Seville, Spain). The students who took part in the activity considered the incorporation of RP in the syllabus as relevant, though further study should be considered in order to analyze the efficacy of this teaching methodology in depth.

Key-Words: Group Methodologies, Communication Skills, Simulation, Role Playing, Healthcare Education, Health Sciences, Higher Education.

1. Introduction

The relevance of teaching methods for the quality of learning has been widely demonstrated in multiple studies (Ramsden, 2003; Addison, Burgess,

a University of Harvard (United States);b Universidad de Sevilla (Spain);c Universidad Metropolitana (Puerto Rico, United States). Correspondence: Laura San Martin, Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 0215 (United States). laura_sanmartin@hms.harvard.edu. San Martín, Cabrera-Martínez, Abalos-Labruzzi and Gómez Galán, International Journal of Educational Excellence, (2015) Vol. 1, No. 1, 93-109. ISSN 2373-5929 Steers & Trowell, 2010; Cobb, & Jackson, 2012; Davies, Jindal-Snape, Collier, Digby, Hay & Howe, 2013). In Higher Education the traditional position has been the use of exhibition techniques, also known as expository lessons and mass instruction ((Ellington & Race, 1993), which led to the discarding of other methodological alternatives and strategies, that while being suitable for other educational levels, were considered unsuitable for the university. Nevertheless, the technological revolution brought about by ICTs has created the need for the transformation of traditional processes of university education to adjust to the new social reality in which students are immersed (Gómez-Galán & Mateos, 2002; Gómez-Galán, 2002; 2014a). Certainly, the training of future professionals in the various fields of knowledge that are prepared at University cannot only be limited to the theory or practice proper to their specialty, but it is also necessary to acquire different skills and abilities for their work in the field of society. Thus, the employment by university professors of other methodologies parallel to exhibition techniques can offer unquestionable advantages. The application of group dynamics, socialization techniques, discovery learning, autonomous work and self-learning strategies, alternative methodologies and the use of ICTs for the development of conceptual, procedural and attitudinal contents, etc., will certainly help a university student to take responsibility, make decisions, enhance the processes of study and research, etc. and, above all, motivate and enhance their creativity (Gómez-Galán, 2014b; Cropley, 2015). The use of multiple teaching methods is also positive for the teacher, because it forces them to assess the intervention processes, analyze the educational possibilities of the means and resources at their disposal and study the processes of teaching and learning in relation to pursued objectives and characteristics of contents to offer. Also, group dynamics and simulations gain special importance among these methodologies since they are critical to the quality of learning in the academic sector (Jones, 1984; Thorley, Gregory, & Gregory, 1994; Recker, Govindaraj, & Vasandani, 1998; Gómez-Galán, 2002; Hertel & Millis, 2002; Lean, Moizer, Towler, & Abbey, 2006; Hoffman, Wilkinson, Xu, & Wiecha, 2014). One of the methodologies based on group dynamics is role playing (RP), which in the academic field is defined as a teaching method based on group dynamics, which uses a simulation focused on the interaction between students with differen

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