A visual thinking strategy enhances an undergraduate human physiology course offered by a Peruvian Pharmacy and Biochemistry School

Abstract

Background: This study focuses on enhancing student success in an undergraduate human physiology course offered by the Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the National University of Trujillo (UNT), Peru. This study was motivated by a retrospective view of student performance during the academic years 2008 to 2016, in which only a low percentage of students were able to successfully pass the course. Method: In 2017, a questionnaire on visual-auditory-kinesthetic learning styles (VAK) revealed that the predominant learning style among students was visual-auditory. Thus, a Visual Thinking student-centred learning strategy was tested and implemented. Results: A noticeable improvement in student success, class participation, and student engagement were observed and linked to the novel learning system adopted. Also, Visual Thinking allowed students to engage in activities that make visible the processes of their creative thinking by laying their ideas graphically, rather than merely showing the conclusions of their thinking.