Metodologia ativa e o ensino de fisiologia cardíaca = um estudo de caso = Active methodology and the teaching of cardiac physiology: a case study

The active methodologies are considered useful strategies of learning, because they favor the autonomy of the student, arousing the curiosity and stimulating the making of decisions. As an option for active teaching methodology, instructional games can increase interest and retention of knowledge, as well as stimulating students' ability to solve problems. For the teaching of cardiac physiology, the "cardiac cycle puzzle" has been developed, which has been used in the cardiovascular physiology classes of the Undergraduate Course in Dentistry of Piracicaba Dental School University of Campinas in Piracicaba. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using a puzzle to learn about cardiac physiology. Students of the second semester of the Dentistry course of Piracicaba Dental School UNICAMP (n = 62), aged between 18 and 25 years, were divided into 2 groups: Control and Game. The 2 groups attended four classes, performing the activity with the game in the class 2. In Class 1 the control group had a two-hour theoretical class about cardiac physiology, approaching the special characteristics of cardiac cells detailed description of the cardiac cycle, and the relation between the special characteristics of the heart and the phases of the cardiac cycle. The Game group had a theoretical class of 50 minutes, on the same topics covered in the class of the control group, excluding the description of the cardiac cycle. In class 2, the Control Group did an assessment exercise before an activity with the cardiac puzzle, and the Game Group answered the same questions after the above-mentioned activity. The Control group did the activity with the puzzle immediately after the assessment exercise. While solving the puzzle, the students had to describe the cardiac cycle by relating the concepts of heart morphology and physiology. In class 3, all the students participated in a general discussion about the cardiac cycle, in order to solve their doubts. In class 4, all the students passed an exam of the subject in which cardiovascular physiology is included. In order to evaluate the learning, we compared the number of correct answers and errors in the test, and the notes obtained in the questions about cardiac physiology that were part of a test of the discipline, between the Control and Game groups (Student’s-t test, p < 0,05). In the assessment exercise, the game group presented a lower number of errors (2.74 ± 0.42) and higher score (7.20 ± 0.22) in comparison with the control group (5.62 ± 0.68; 5.51 ± 0.35). In the academic exam, applied after both groups had used the puzzle, there was no difference in the score obtained by the Control (8.93 ± 0.40) and Game Groups (9.12 ± 0.33) in questions about cardiac physiology. These results showed a positive effect of the puzzle on students' learning about cardiac physiology, when compared with those not using it. In addition to improving learning about cardiac physiology, the game helped them understand and relate the morphological characteristics of the heart with its physiology.