Abstract:

This work describes an educational innovation project implemented in the Intervention and psychological treatment techniques and Psychopathology courses of the third year of the Psychology degree in the Jaume I University in Castellón, Spain. The main objective is to analyze whether the incorporation of audiovisual materials, such as videos and infographics developed through electronic didactic tasks and resources offered by the university’s virtual platform, can enhance students’ motivation, engagement, satisfaction and learning in comparison with written texts and clinical case descriptions.

The activity includes clinical narratives designed to promote the application of theoretical knowledge. Students must apply some of the techniques seen during the classes to virtual patients who present some problems of anxiety or depression. The audiovisual materials were created with Vyond and Canva. They incorporate animations and visual explanations intended to support the understanding of symptoms, processes and clinical decision-making. These materials aim to make practical learning more engaging, allowing students to work on their own.

The task requires students to familiarize themselves with the patient and make decisions about which treatment technique should be applied. Through the “Lesson” tool in the virtual classroom of the course, they progress through a branching, interactive activity in which their choices determine the pathway. They must implement specific techniques, previously studied, such as exposure, cognitive restructuring, opposite action, problem solving, mindfulness and compassion-based interventions. Throughout the activity, students respond to questions and reflect on the appropriateness of each therapeutic approach. The design of the task follows a feedback process, which aligns with pedagogical models that emphasize active learning. The aim is to determine whether audiovisual and interactive resources enhance motivation, engagement and learning retention in the students as well as satisfaction. This approach seeks to address limitations of conventional sessions, where time constraints often prevent all students from actively participating in intervention exercises or where, in a role-playing exercise, the person whose role is the patient misses the opportunity to be a therapist, thus limiting their learning.

Data collection has been completed. Students’ global satisfaction with the task was measured using an ad-hoc eight-item questionnaire. Average satisfaction scores were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test between students completing the task through the virtual classroom and those using paper-based materials. Results revealed significant differences between groups (U=83, p=.039), with the innovative group (N=12) reporting higher satisfaction levels, which showed an average score of 9.5 out of 10 and a standard deviation (SD) of 0.44. In contrast, the traditional group (N= 9), obtained an average score of 8.4 and an SD of 1.46. These findings suggest that the use of audiovisual and interactive resources enhances students’ learning experiences and satisfaction.

In conclusion, these preliminary results point to the potential of this approach to improve coordination across courses and strengthen transversal competencies that have to be present in a psychologist. Although these findings seem promising, they should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. Further data collection is planned.

Keywords:

Educational innovation, audiovisual materials, digital tools, psychology education, interactive learning.