Analogies applied to learning the non-laboratory morphofunctional muscular system: an experience report

ABSTRACT Introduction: The strategies applied in the classroom have been changing through time, especially when it comes to medical education. It is a challenging task for teachers and monitors to promote the teaching of anatomy inside medical education, since anatomy is seen as a mechanical content and hard to understand by the students. Therefore, this study aims to report the use of analogies as an anatomy teaching strategy in a medical college in countryside of Pará, Brazil. Experience report: The innovating analogy strategy was applied by teachers and monitors to 56 1st -semester medical students. The aim of this study was to include analogies in morphofunctional classes that would help students to understand the muscle system anatomy by comparing daily objects with parts of the human body. Four analogies were selected: microscopic muscle structure (fibers, fascicle, muscle); macroscopic muscle structure (muscle belly, aponeurosis); transversus abdominis muscle; scalene muscles. Discussion: Few studies use analogies for teaching in health science and none have been focused on teaching anatomy. Existing studies show that low-budget resources, such as analogies, are efficient for teaching/learning process. Conclusion: The experience proved to be an excellent alternative to the students’ teaching-learning, considering that they achieved the learning goals in the experience. The content, which could be boring, was learned in a ludic and interactive way and so the active knowledge construction was easier. The analogy strategy can increase student interest in classes and content retention is improved and it contributes to individual academic formation.