Combining education scenarios and modalities: the contextual dimension of health sciences professors’ learning ecologies ( Combinando escenarios y modalidades de formación: la dimensión contextual de las ecologías de aprendizaje del docente universitario de ciencias de la salud )

Abstract

Professional learning processes occur in many scenarios in which there are a variety of different elements that play key roles. The concept of learning ecologies is particularly useful for understanding how these complex processes happen, although it is still an embryonic line of research whose potential has not been fully explored. The objective of this study was to identify the elements of the contextual dimension of learning ecologies. This qualitative research was performed via a case study. Five professors of the health sciences field at the University of A Coruña constitute the case. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and analysed using Atlas.ti software. The results showed that there were three key elements in the contextual dimension: Activities, Interactions and Resources. Being aware of the components that make up their own ecology will help professors maintain and enhance it and, therefore, help them achieve their learning objectives.