Integrating Theory, Practice, and Reflection: An Active Learning Experience in University Health Education

Abstract

Higher education faces the challenge of integrating theory, practice, and reflection to promote meaningful learning and relevant professional competencies. This experience describes the implementation of a four-moment strategy (theoretical exposition, collective analysis, applied practice, and reflective evaluation) in a first-year Speech-Language Therapy course at the University of Chile and examines its perceived formative effects. To evaluate this innovation, open-ended surveys were administered before and after the course, and a thematic analysis of responses was conducted; in addition, the instructional guidelines and rubrics used in the assessed activities were reviewed. The results describe discursive shifts across five dimensions: understanding of the formative purpose, projection of professional applicability, development of ethical and critical skills, transfer to real-world contexts, and appraisal of the didactic sequence. Post-course responses more frequently referenced the person and the sociocultural environment, as well as the need to adapt decisions to specific contexts. Taken together, the findings suggest that the four-moment sequence supports reflective learning, critical thinking, and ethical sensitivity, and that the use of instructional guidelines and rubrics contributes to self-regulation and more active participation in the learning process.