A puzzle used to teach the cardiac cycle.
The aim of the present article is to describe a puzzle developed for use in teaching cardiac physiology classes. The puzzle presents figures of phases of the cardiac cycle and a table with five columns: phases of cardiac cycle, atrial state, ventricular state, state of atrioventricular valves, and pulmonary and aortic valves. Chips are provided for use to complete the table. Students are requested to discuss which is the correct sequence of figures indicating the phases of cardiac cycle. Afterward, they should complete the table with the chips. Students of biology, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing graduation courses from seven institutions performed the puzzle evaluation. They were invited to indicate whether the puzzle had been useful for learning about the subject by filling one of four alternatives. Of the students, 4.6% answered that it was not necessary but helped them to confirm what they had learned, 64.5% reported that although they had previously understood the cardiac cycle, the puzzle helped them to solve doubts and promoted a better understanding of it, and 30.9% said that they needed the puzzle to understand the cardiac cycle, without differences among courses, institutions, and course semesters. The results of the present study suggest that a simple and inexpensive puzzle may be useful as an active learning methodology applied after the theoretical lecture, as a complementary tool for studying cardiac cycle physiology.
Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil; fkleinmarcondes@yahoo.com.br.
Fernanda K
FK
Marcondes
Life Sciences Center, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil;
Maria J C S
MJ
Moura
Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil;
Andrea
A
Sanches
Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil;
Rafaela
R
Costa
Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil;
Patricia Oliveira
PO
de Lima
Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil;
Francisco Carlos
FC
Groppo
Hermínio Ometto University Center, Araras, São Paulo, Brazil;
Maria E C
ME
Amaral
Community University of the Region of Chapecó, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil;
Paula
P
Zeni
Pitagoras Faculty, Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil;
Kelly Cristina
KC
Gaviao
Barão de Mauá University Center, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil; and Department of Biological Science and Health, Araraquara University Center, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil.
Luís H
LH
Montrezor
D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations
active learning; educational games; graduate education; heart; physiology