Abstract

Information and communication technologies have produced dramatic changes in the organization of knowledge and learning processes. The virtual learning environment comprises technological platforms with a digital space on the Internet. This study works with educational resources, including links to other web sites, documents, clinical cases, workshops and self-evaluations. All of these allow interactive teaching. Material and Methods: Data were collected using a 23-item test covering three dimensions: General satisfaction with the module, contents of the course, and acceptability. Students were also able to add comments concerning their difficulties, suggestion for changes, and other subjects of interest. The sample comprised 12 undergraduates on the course in clinical chemistry at the University of Chile's School of Medical Technology. Results: General satisfaction with the module reached 80.6%. Course content received the highest evaluation (82.3%), and agreement the lowest, (64.3%). The main comments were: 1. Good disposition of the tutor towards the students; clear explanations. 2. Good discrimination of images from urinalysis. 3. The self-evaluations allowed good appraisal of the knowledge acquired during the unit. 4. The wide range of images helped to recognize the elements in urine. 5. Many students indicated their approval of self-evaluation as a self-learning method. 6. The main difficulty was the Internet connection and the time taken to download the pages. Conclusion: The self-learning module for urinalysis in a technological platform was evaluated by the students as an efficient and profitable way of consolidating learning.