Abstract:

Introduction:
One of the widely recognized problems in the learning process of Physical Therapy students is the lack of scientific skills to retrieve solid and reliable information. The reasons for this are diverse, but it has been described that part of the problem is due to the difficulty of physical therapy students to read scientific articles. Students claim to have some barriers such as lack of motivation, language barriers or lack of practice in reading and interpreting science.

Purpose:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of collaborative learning to improve scientific reading skills in physical therapy students.

Methods:
Third year physiotherapy students of the subject "Specific Methods of Intervention" were chosen. A series of scientific articles related to the contents of the course were proposed, and the students were organized into groups of 4 students and chose one of these articles based on their interests. The activity consisted of each group reading and interpreting the article and elaborating an infographic to present to the rest of their classmates. During the time of the activity, the teacher solved questions about the articles and organized discussions about how to read and interpret science. The infographics were presented by each group in a class session, and the rest of the classmates were asked questions and discussed the findings. The students' perception of improvement in reading articles was evaluated (pre and post intervention, with a Likert scale), as well as the motivation and feasibility of this type of collaborative learning.

Results:
All students participated in the activity, making infographics of a total of 23 scientific articles using different methodologies (randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, etc.). After the activity, the students reflected a greater ease in reading scientific articles (mean 1-5= 4,2), as well as a high level of satisfaction with the activity, as it allowed them to learn about the current scientific literature both through their work and the presentations of their classmates.

Conclusions:
Collaborative learning can be a viable and motivating option for students, being a form of online collaborative learning that can help students to read and discuss scientific literature.

Keywords:

Active Learning, Collaborative Learning, Physiotherapy, Scientific Knowlegde.