How to use movie clips to promote learners´ reflection: a successful educational experience in Brazil Brazilian Society of Family Medicine www.sobramfa.com.br

Presentation Agenda Describe the project Show movie clips and discuss comments that students make after viewing them Show additional movie clips, obtain participants reactions to these clips Discuss ways participants can use similar movie and opera clips with their learners

What and who is SOBRAMFA? SOBRAMFA = Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina de Famίlia (Brazilian Society of Family Medicine) A group of physicians and physicians-in-training in Brazil who are dedicated to the principles of Family Medicine We often use movies to promote discussions in our meetings

Our Courses’ objective Provide a forum for discussing and reflecting on: Physician and patient attitudes, Behavior and ethics, The place of humanities and anthopology in medicine, and How to continue to develop as human beings.

How we use film clips Faculty who made the non-medical film clips show them with simultaneous commentary Faculty who know the method facilitate a small group discussion among the students Later, the students become involved and talk their ideas with own film scenes, which they felt would be useful for starting a new discussion. Next , sometimes, we make a discussion with all participants to talk the most important point in each small group.

Why we use this approach The Method: is well-suited to the audio-visual culture in which our students are immersed impacts our learners’ affective domain Motivates and involves our learners

Which subjects emerged in the discussions? Related to the development of the human being, the importance of dialogue and respect for others’ opinions and perspectives, caring about little things in life (which makes difference when dealing with people), promoting compassion, empathy, and commitment

Why this approach works Emotions lead students to reflect about their lives. Simultaneous commentary expands perceptions and fosters student reflection Fits with the brazilian temperment: students and intuitive learning Method works well with Brazilian students and Portuguese-speakering people They´re follow subtitles in Portuguese and the comments in same language The comments don´t compete with the original language (mostly English)

Understanding the process Students identify with film characters and movie “realities” Students use film scenes to represent their own reality The educational outcome is expanded by providing continuity through daily life, in which students’ reflection is supported by the film situations’ models

What students say about all this? Student´s quotes...... “I took up this work because I liked it. Projects like this are necessary to prevent one from losing touch with the real world. With these themes one questions not only Medicine but also the human being. While useful for any profession, the physician has a clear necessity. Physicians take care for something special, obliged to treat people. If I were unable to deal with a patient, to convince him, I would be helpless.

Students and the method It is not about agreeing with the teacher´s comment...I don´t agree entirely. But those comments make me reflect about my own life, and the type of doctor I want to become.... I thought it will be difficult to pay attention to the movies and follow the teacher´s comments...I was wrong. The teacher’s speech was all about what I was thinking, making it more explicit....

Students’ learning.... It is not about learning something. It´s about fostering reflection and getting surprises from our inside. The course is much more than discussion about movies. It stimulates reflecting, thinking, and searching for answers. The answers didn´t come all the time..It´s like an exercise. Through it you can feel like a human being....

Students´ Affective Domain There are many emotions all put together here. And we can construct something in all these mixed emotions.

Students asking for continuity I was surprised. A lot of issues emerged here, nothing to do with medicine, but with our own lives. That´s really amazing. I found here a strong support to keep the focus....Unfortunately, it´s over. Wondering about set groups for keeping the process ongoing, unofficial groups with informal meetings...I´m sad because this is over... The course..Well I love movies, but I never thought movies could stimulate thinking. It´s like the monkey, in the Lion King...I thought the flim clips stimulated me...

Divided no More!!! Every job becomes philosophy, and is transformed into art and into poetry and creation, as long as those who do it put on their work their entire lives and they are not divided in two parts: one for the ideal and the other for the daily routine. They are wise people that turn into the very same mission the daily task and the ideal, being at once duty and liberty, routine and ongoing renovate inspiration. Eugenio D´Ors. “Leaning and heroism”.