Assessment of graphic organizer usage among medical students at uniandes, ecuador

Graphic organizers facilitate meaningful learning; however, in Ecuador, there is no research on their use. The objective of the study was to evaluate the knowledge and use of graphic organizers, as well as preferences in study techniques and reading habits among medical students at the Regional Autonomous University of the Andes (UNIANDES), Ecuador. A self-designed online questionnaire was administered to medical students at UNIANDES between July and September 2023. The instrument included questions about knowledge and use of graphic organizers, study techniques employed, and reading habits. A total of 92 students participated (average age of 19 years; 67.4% women). About 68.5% (n=63) had not received training in study techniques. The mean number of books read in the last six months was 3, with a median of 2. The most frequently used study technique was summarization; the least known graphic organizer was the mentefacto. The majority recognized the importance of study techniques and considered that professors should promote their use. It is concluded that medical students at UNIANDES make little use of visual organizers (concept maps, mentefactos), even though they are aware of them, preferring traditional tools such as summarization