Abstract:

As part of the Degree of Physiotherapy, the usual teaching strategy in the field of Respiratory Physiotherapy (master lesson encouraging student-teacher interaction; and laboratory practices oriented to the experimental procedure for the acquisition of skills and technical skills) could be complemented to improve technological skills and competencies by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In this way, it is proposed a teaching innovation project based on Mobile learning, involving students who have to search Mobile Applications (Apps) that specifically address the assessment and treatment of respiratory pathologies, as well as guides of healthy habits and educational support to patients. Moreover, the project was aimed to enhance research competencies, since the search was performed using specific descriptor terms in the main repositories of Apps (Google Play Store and App Store). Once the searches were carried out, the results were presented by the students. Additionally, a critical evaluation of each App was conducted about the possible validity as a complementary tool in the clinical procedure of the respiratory physiotherapy. In this sense, the theoretical and practical contents (specifically those related to healthy habits, educational patient support, strategies of assessment and treatment of respiratory pathologies) addressed through the usual educational approach, were complemented by the acquisition of digital and research skills, as well as analytical skills and clinical reasoning, contrasting the content received through the usual teaching with those obtained through mobile devices.

The project was performed with students of the University of Seville (Spain). The following items were analyzed through a questionnaire after teaching innovation project:
(i) the degree of difficulty;
(ii) the utility of the project to be performed in other fields of physiotherapy;
(iii) the contribution of the project in the theoretical and practical learning of the respiratory physiotherapy subject;
(iv) and the contribution of the project to optimize the future work as a physiotherapist.

A total of 55 participants completed the questionnaire and they rated the experience as uncomplicated, quite-very useful to apply to other subjects, a rather-something important contribution to improving the theoretical-practical learning of the subject of respiratory physiotherapy. It was appropriate as training to the future work as a physiotherapist. Therefore, we encourage to introduce new teaching projects based on ICT to enhance digital and research skills among university students.

Keywords:

Mobile learning, physiotherapy, ICT, digital health, mobile applications.