Abstract:

Service-learning (SL) is one of the most important teaching methodologies, and is currently gaining prominence at all levels of education. This methodology provides students with opportunities to learn in real world contexts. It also allows developing community engagement skills, whiling providing community partnership opportunities to address important needs. Thus, it benefits students, teachers, communities, and Educational/Academic institutions. "Stop Hypertension with SLP/UCM" is a SL project (SLP) designed to contribute to the fight against arterial hypertension (AHT). To achieve an adequate diagnosis of AHT is a pending issue in the attempt to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases outcomes and mortality. Our project is a powerful and useful tool for training citizens in the self-measurement of blood pressure (SMBP) at home, which allows the accurate diagnosis of AHT. “Stop Hypertension with SLP/UCM” has so far been implemented by health science students from several degrees of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), such as Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Dentistry and Nutrition and Dietetics. Students visited elderly centers of several city councils of Madrid to teach the elderly to use SMBP devices correctly, to interpret the results and to find out when to go to the doctor on time. This experience has allowed students to train as professionals and to get closer to the social reality while completing their curriculum degree. Therefore, we have considered that students enrolled in higher vocational training degrees such as Pharmacy and Parapharmacy or Nursing, that are taught in high schools, could also implement our SL project and benefit from it. All these degrees share a practical teaching approach, focused on the acquisition of professional skills, so it is possible to integrate our SL experience into their curricular academic objectives. We propose that university students train higher vocational training students in SMBP through collaborative learning. Once all the students have been trained, they will visit elderly centers to carry out the SMBP service teaching. Results of surveys and blood pressure records from the elderly will be collected and analyzed. All activities will be supervised by university tutors. The interaction and co-learning of higher vocational training and university students will allow the development of social and service skills, empowering and preparing them for their future professional life, in which they will also interact. “Stop hypertension with SLP/UCM” will help students to develop greater social awareness and civic skills at the service of the community. In addition, they will learn decision-making and solve real problems. The interconnection of the two educational levels to reach learning and service objectives makes this project a powerful and effective educational tool.

Keywords:

Service-learning project, higher vocational training and university degrees, hypertension, community service, design-teaching strategies.