Denisse Zúñiga

Bio: Denisse Zúñiga is an academic researcher from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. The author has contributed to research in topics: Learning styles & Experiential learning. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 16 publications receiving 165 citations.

Medical students' change in learning styles during the course of the undergraduate program: from 'thinking and watching' to 'thinking and doing'

Abstract: Background: Most students admitted to medical school are abstract-passive learners. However, as they progress through the program, active learning and concrete interpersonal interactions become crucial for the acquisition of professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how medical students' learning styles change during the course of their undergraduate program. Methods: All students admitted to the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (PUC) medical school between 2000 and 2011 (n = 1,290) took the Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory at school entrance. Two years later 627 students took it again, and in the seventh and last year of the program 104 students took it for a third time. The distribution of styles at years 1, 3 and 7, and the mobility of students between styles were analyzed with Bayesian models. Results: Most freshmen (54%) were classified as assimilators (abstract-passive learners); convergers (abstractactive) followed with 26%, whereas divergers (concrete-passive) and accommodators (concrete-active) accounted for 11% and 9%, respectively. By year 3, the styles' distribution remained unchanged but in year 7 convergers outnumbered assimilators (49% vs. 33%). In general, there were no gender-related differences.

Psychological types and learning styles of students entering medical school at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Abstract: o-reflexivas tenganventajas en el ciclo basico de la carrera y los concreto-activos en el ciclo clinico e internado. Dehecho, se han reportado diferencias en la habilidaddiagnostica de aprendices abstractos y concretos 31 ,destacandose los abstractos por su capacidad deestructurar el pensamiento y los concretos por suflexibilidad de pensamiento.C ONCLUSIONES GENERALES En resumen, de cada 10 estudiantes que ingresana estudiar medicina en la PUC, 7 se caracterizanpor analizar la informacion de un modo logico,objetivo e imparcial o por tener una posturaestructurada y decidida en la vida. El fuerte deestos estudiantes es la capacidad de asimilar grancantidad de informacion y abstraer los conceptosy patrones generales. Tienen una tendencia masreflexiva que activa, por lo que evaluanexhaustivamente las alternativas de accion.Por otra parte, 30% que posee el perfil opues-to, basa sus decisiones en consideraciones perso-nales, privilegia la armonia entre las personas, ytiene una actitud flexible y abierta ante la vida ysus posibilidades. Las fortalezas de estos estudian-tes residen en su capacidad para aprender de laexperiencia directa y trabajar en equipo; en suaprecio y cuidado por los detalles, y en suvaloracion de las relaciones interpersonales.Sin lugar a dudas, las caracteristicas de personali-dad y estilos de aprender atraviesan la vida academicade cada estudiante, influyendo en la adquisicion tantode conocimientos como de habilidades y actitu-des

Influence of personality and learning styles in the choice of medical specialty

Abstract: Background: Several studies indicate that doctors who work in the same area of the medical profession tend to behave somehow similarly. Thus, it has been suggested that personality relates to the medical specialty choice. However, it is not known whether people selfselect into the medical specialties according to their personality or the professional practice in a particular field influences their behavior. Aim: To explore the possible association between the graduate’s personality features and learning styles and their chosen specialty. Subjects and Methods: The psychological preferences and learning styles of 65 students of the 2001-graduating cohort of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile School of Medicine were evaluated with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, respectively. These variables were correlated with the information of their specialty choice or occupation two years after graduation. Results: Graduates distributed unevenly in different areas of the medical profession. Surgical specialties concentrated a larger proportion of extraverted, intuitive and structured doctors, whereas in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine predominated intuitive and people-oriented MD’s. Primary Care concentrated individuals with introverted, intuitive and flexible attitudes. Convergent learners (interested in problem-solving) preferred Surgery and Primary Care whereas Assimilator learners

Learning styles of medical students change along the study program: from ‘thinking and watching’ to ‘thinking and doing’

Abstract: Background: Most students admitted to medical school are abstract-passive learners. However, as they progress through the program, active learning and concrete interpersonal interactions become crucial for the acquisition of professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how medical students' learning styles change during the course of their undergraduate program. Methods: All students admitted to the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (PUC) medical school between 2000 and 2011 ( n = 1,290) took the Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory at school entrance. Two years later 627 students took it again, and in the seventh and last year of the program 104 students took it for a third time. The distribution of styles at years 1, 3 and 7, and the mobility of students between styles were analyzed with Bayesian models. Results: Most freshmen (54%) were classified as assimilators (abstract-passive learners); convergers (abstract-active) followed with 26%, whereas divergers (concrete-passive) and accommodators (concrete-active) accounted for 11% and 9%, respectively. By year 3, the styles' distribution remained unchanged but in year 7 convergers outnumbered assimilators (49% vs. 33%). In general, there were no gender-related differences. Discussion: Medical students change their preferred way of learning: they evolve from an abstract-reflexive style to an abstract-active one. This change might represent an adaptation to the curriculum, which evolves from a lecture-based teacher-centered to a problem-based student–centered model.

Burnout en la formación de profesionales de la salud en Chile: Factores de protección y riesgo, y propuestas de abordaje desde la perspectiva de los educadores

Abstract: Background The burnout syndrome affects more than half of students and professionals involved in healthcare worldwide and is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a low perception of self-efficacy. Several studies indicate that when students are burnt-out, clinical work, professionalism and ethical behavior, as well as empathy, are negatively affected, while the risk of academic attrition, depression and suicidal ideation tend to increase. At a national level, recent information shows that one out of every two medical students suffer burnout at the beginning of the clinical cycle, a situation that does not improve after finishing undergraduate medical training. There is no consensus on which are the most appropriate strategies to face the problem of burnout in students and health-care professionals. Some studies indicate that the experience of medical and health educators may be key to the design of effective strategies to address this problem. Aim To identify the burnout risk and protection factors of students at different medical schools. Material and methods In this study -in which 34 expert health educators from eight Chilean medical schools and other health-related schools participated- we used a qualitative methodology based on the appreciative inquiry to explore the key elements associated with the occurrence of burnout, identify protective and risk factors, as well as discuss possible effective interventions to prevent it. Results There are personal, academic and contextual elements that act as protective or risk factors of burnout. In addition, the educators identified key elements to design organizational and curricular interventions to face the problem of burnout at a local level. Conclusions Burnout is a serious problem in the formation of health care professionals. Teacher training aimed at promoting student'well-being must include the teaching of communication skills that consider both the generation gap and the profile of the professional medical schools intend to form.

Content and outcomes of narrative medicine programmes: a systematic review of the literature through 2019.

Abstract: Objectives Narrative medicine (NM) incorporates stories into health sciences paradigms as fundamental aspects of the human experience. The aim of this systematic review is to answer the research question: how effective is the implementation and evaluation of NM programmes in academic medicine and health sciences? We documented objectives, content and evaluation outcomes of NM programming to provide recommendations for future narrative-based education. Methods We conducted a systematic review of literature published through 2019 using five major databases: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC and MedEdPORTAL. Eligible NM programming included textual analysis/close reading of published literature and creative/reflective writing. Qualifying participants comprised individuals from academic medicine and health sciences disciplines. We reviewed and categorised programme goals, content and evaluation activities to assess participant satisfaction and programme efficacy. Two members of the research team assessed the risk of bias, independently screening records via a two-round, iterative process to reach consensus on eligibility. Results Of 1569 original citations identified, we selected 55 unique programmes (described in 61 records). In all, 41 (75%) programmes reported a form of evaluation; evaluation methods lacked consistency. Twenty-two programmes used quantitative evaluation (13 well described), and 33 programmes used qualitative evaluation (27 well described). Well-described quantitative evaluations relied on 32 different measures (7 validated) and showed evidence of high participant satisfaction and pre-post improvement in competencies such as relationship-building, empathy, confidence/personal accomplishment, pedagogical skills and clinical skills. An average of 88.3% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the programme had positive outcomes. Qualitative evaluation identified high participant satisfaction and improvement in competencies such as relationship-building, empathy, perspective-taking/reflection, resilience and burnout detection/mitigation, confidence/personal accomplishment, narrative competence, and ethical inquiry. Conclusion Evaluation suggests that NM programming leads to high participant satisfaction and positive outcomes across various competencies. We suggest best practices and innovative future directions for programme implementation and evaluation.

Assessing Learning Styles of Saudi Dental Students Using Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory

Abstract: Experiential learning theory (ELT), a theory developed by David Kolb that considers experience to be very important for learning, classifies learners into four categories: Divergers, Assimilators, Convergers, and Accommodators. Kolb used his Learning Style Inventory (LSI) to validate ELT. Knowing the learning styles of students facilitates their understanding of themselves and thereby increases teaching efficiency. Few studies have been conducted that investigate learning preferences of students in the field of dentistry. This study was designed to distinguish learning styles among Saudi dental students and interns utilizing Kolb's LSI. The survey had a response rate of 62 percent (424 of 685 dental students), but surveys with incomplete answers or errors were excluded, resulting in 291 usable surveys (42 percent of the student population). The independent variables of this study were gender, clinical experience level, academic achievement as measured by grade point average (GPA), and specialty interest. The Diverging learning style was the dominant style among those in the sample. While the students preferred the Assimilating style during their early preclinical years, they preferred the Diverging style during their later clinical years. No associations were found between students' learning style and their gender, GPA, or specialty interest. Further research is needed to support these findings and demonstrate the impact of learning styles on dental students' learning.

An Alternative Method for Anatomy Training: Immersive Virtual Reality.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of immersive three-dimensional (3D) interactive virtual reality (VR) on anatomy training in undergraduate physical therapy students. A total of 72 students were included in the study. The students were randomized into control (n = 36) and VR (n = 36) group according to the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, sex, and Purdue Spatial Visualization Test Rotations (PSVT-R). Each student completed a pre-intervention and post-intervention test, consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, sex, Kolb Learning Style Inventory distribution, and the PSVT-R (P > 0.05). The post-test scores were significantly higher compared to pre-test scores in both the VR group (P < 0.001) and the control group (P < 0.001). The difference between the pre-test and post-test results was found to be significantly higher in favor of the VR group (P < 0.001). In this study, anatomy training with a 3D immersive VR system was found to be beneficial. These results suggest that VR systems can be used as an alternative method to the conventional anatomy training approach for health students.

Estilos de aprendizaje y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de Psicología

Abstract: El estudio se ejecuto con la poblacion estudiantil de la Facultad de Psicologia de la Universidad Santo Tomas de Bogota. El proposito de esta investigacion es describir los estilos de aprendizaje e identificar si existe correlacion entre estos y el rendimiento academico de los estudiantes de Psicologia. Los resultados evidenciaron que todos los estilos de aprendizaje se encuentran presentes en el grupo de estudiantes de Psicologia de la USTA evaluados. Este grupo tiende mas al estilo reflexivo. Se observo que existe relacion significativa entre los modos de aprendizaje y el rendimiento academico, especialmente, en los estudiantes que muestran estilo activo y en los que expresan estilo reflexivo. Los estudiantes que conviven con la familia nuclear tienden a un mayor grado de reflexividad en comparacion con quienes viven solos, esto puede mostrar que convivir en familia estaria relacionado con mantener mayor soporte social y red de apoyo para adoptar desafios y alcanzar metas. Palabras clave: aprendizaje, estilos de aprendizaje, rendimiento academico.

Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand.

Abstract: Purpose This study aimed to explore the associations between learning styles and high academic achievement and to ascertain whether the factors associated with high academic achievement differed between preclinical and clinical students. Methods A survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The Index of Learning Styles questionnaire was used to assess each student's learning style across four domains. High academic achievement was defined as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Results Of the 1,248 eligible medical students, 1,014 (81.3%) participated. Learning styles differed between the preclinical and clinical students in the active/reflective domain. A sequential learning style was associated with high academic achievement in both preclinical and clinical students. A reflective learning style was only associated with high academic achievement among preclinical students. Conclusion The association between learning styles and academic achievement may have differed between preclinical and clinical students due to different learning content and teaching methods. Students should be encouraged to be flexible in their own learning styles in order to engage successfully with various and changing teaching methods across the curriculum. Instructors should be also encouraged to provide a variety of teaching materials and resources to suit different learning styles.