Physiology learning for veterinary students: impact of guided practices on students’ opinion and physiological parameters

Abstract

Over recent decades, education has increasingly focused on student-centered learning. Guided practices represent a new way of learning for undergraduate students of physiology, whereby the students turn into teacher-students and become more deeply involved in the subject by preparing and teaching a practical (laboratory) class to their peers. The goal was to assess the students’ opinions about guided practices and how physiological parameters change during the activity. For this objective, two experiments were performed. First, a voluntary questionnaire on guided practices was completed by the students during 2 academic years. Students could also write a free text commentary. The positive answers obtained in the questionnaire and the free commentary responses point to the effectiveness of this methodology in students’ minds. Negative aspects included the time spent preparing the activity, and the stress that students experienced in the teaching role. Second, information about how the teacher-students felt before teaching the practical class was self-reported, and physiological parameters related to stress (heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and electrocardiogram recorded to evaluate R-R interval and heart rate variability) were measured immediately before and while the practical class was taught. This evaluation reported an increase in stress during the execution of the practice. In conclusion, despite a new and stressful situation, guided practices are of interest for the students as a learning tool and for the acquisition of skills that may be of use in their later professional lives.