GV Magazine
More than a diagnosis: Health professions students adopt visual thinking strategies to be more mindful with patients
May 10, 2019
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Examining a painting and discussing with classmates what they see is a typical day in the life of students majoring in the visual arts. It was new territory, however, for students majoring in health professions who enrolled in a new course at Grand Valley, “Learning to See: Visual Training for the Health Professional.”
Developed by Jill Eggers, associate professor of visual and media arts, the course teaches students majoring in health professions how to become better diagnosticians and more empathetic communicators through visual learning using art.
This is accomplished through various visual thinking strategies — activities designed to develop students’ background knowledge on a subject through the use of critical thinking skills that focus on detail to enhance understanding.
Throughout the inaugural offering of the course during the fall 2018 semester, students participated in guided meditations, examining works of art, drawing exercises, art gallery tours and in-depth group discussions.