Publication: Parasitology curriculum integration and educationalinnovation at the University of Alcalá
Authors
Peña-Fernández, Antonio ; Pérez-Serrano, Jorge ; Martín-Pérez, Tania ; Peña, María de los Ángeles
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Publisher
Universida de Murcia: servicio de publicaciones
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.702321
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Description
Abstract
La Parasitología sigue siendo una disciplina esencial en las ciencias de la salud y de lavida, aunque su presencia curricular se ha visto progresivamente reducida en muchos programasuniversitarios. En la Universidad de Alcalá (UAH, España), esta pérdida de visibilidad se producido en paralelo a reformas curriculares y a la integración de sus contenidos en asignaturasbiomédicas más amplias. En este contexto, el presente trabajo ofrece un estudio de caso institucionaldescriptivo sobre la enseñanza de la Parasitología en la UAH y sintetiza las principalesinnovaciones introducidas recientemente para reforzar su presencia en los estudios de grado yposgrado. Para responder a la disminución del tiempo docente y al debilitamiento de la formacióndiagnóstica, se han incorporado estrategias activas, digitales e interdisciplinares, entre ellas laintegración de contenidos parasitológicos en actividades de preparación frente a incidentes QBRN,el desarrollo de talleres basados en escenarios, el uso de recursos digitales como e-Parasitology© y lapuesta en marcha de nuevas propuestas formativas en diagnóstico avanzado y parasitologíaforense. En esta fase, la evidencia disponible procede fundamentalmente de señales tempranas deimplementación, incluyendo patrones de participación, observaciones docentes estructuradas yretroalimentación no identificable recogida durante la práctica docente habitual. Más que presentaruna evaluación formal de efectividad en la UAH, este trabajo propone una lectura centrada en laimplementación y en las condiciones que han favorecido la reintroducción de contenidosparasitológicos en currículos integrados. En conjunto, la experiencia sugiere que los enfoquesaplicados, digitales y contextualmente relevantes pueden contribuir a reforzar la visibilidad y lapertinencia formativa de la Parasitología, especialmente en relación con el razonamientodiagnóstico, la salud pública, la salud global y One Health. Asimismo, se identifican principios dediseño potencialmente transferibles a otros contextos universitarios con limitaciones curricularessimilares
Parasitology remains a foundational yet increasingly marginalised discipline withinmodern health and life sciences curricula. At the University of Alcalá (UAH, Spain), parasitologyhas experienced reduced visibility in undergraduate programmes due to curriculum reforms andits integration into broader (bio)medical modules. This manuscript presents a descriptiveinstitutional case study of parasitology education at UAH and synthesises recent innovationsimplemented to strengthen teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Toaddress declining instructional time and diagnostic training, UAH has adopted active andinterdisciplinary learning strategies. These include the integration of parasitology into Chemical,Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) preparedness training, the implementation ofscenario-based workshops, and the launch of a summer course focused on advanced diagnostictechniques. Digital innovations, notably the e-Parasitology© platform, have supported self-directedlearning and enhanced student engagement in both animal and clinical parasitology. A novelteaching strand in forensic parasitology has also been introduced, supported by virtual case studiesand interactive resources. Early implementation signals (participation patterns, structured teachingobservations, and non-identifiable student and staff feedback captured during routine delivery)suggest increased engagement and perceived gains in diagnostic reasoning and conceptualunderstanding, particularly among students without prior exposure to parasitology. Rather thantesting effectiveness at UAH using formal outcome measures, we present an implementation-focused account and derive transferable design principles and enabling conditions for adaptation incomparable settings. The UAH experience demonstrates how applied, digital, and interdisciplinaryapproaches can revitalise parasitology education, ensuring its relevance to One Health and publichealth priorities. We conclude with practical recommendations to sustain parasitology withinintegrated curricula and to strengthen alignment with One Health and global health training needs.
Parasitology remains a foundational yet increasingly marginalised discipline withinmodern health and life sciences curricula. At the University of Alcalá (UAH, Spain), parasitologyhas experienced reduced visibility in undergraduate programmes due to curriculum reforms andits integration into broader (bio)medical modules. This manuscript presents a descriptiveinstitutional case study of parasitology education at UAH and synthesises recent innovationsimplemented to strengthen teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Toaddress declining instructional time and diagnostic training, UAH has adopted active andinterdisciplinary learning strategies. These include the integration of parasitology into Chemical,Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) preparedness training, the implementation ofscenario-based workshops, and the launch of a summer course focused on advanced diagnostictechniques. Digital innovations, notably the e-Parasitology© platform, have supported self-directedlearning and enhanced student engagement in both animal and clinical parasitology. A novelteaching strand in forensic parasitology has also been introduced, supported by virtual case studiesand interactive resources. Early implementation signals (participation patterns, structured teachingobservations, and non-identifiable student and staff feedback captured during routine delivery)suggest increased engagement and perceived gains in diagnostic reasoning and conceptualunderstanding, particularly among students without prior exposure to parasitology. Rather thantesting effectiveness at UAH using formal outcome measures, we present an implementation-focused account and derive transferable design principles and enabling conditions for adaptation incomparable settings. The UAH experience demonstrates how applied, digital, and interdisciplinaryapproaches can revitalise parasitology education, ensuring its relevance to One Health and publichealth priorities. We conclude with practical recommendations to sustain parasitology withinintegrated curricula and to strengthen alignment with One Health and global health training needs.
Citation
Peña-Fernández, A., Pérez-Serrano, J., Martín-Pérez, T., & Peña, M. de los Ángeles. (2026). Integración curricular e innovación educativa en Parasitología en la Universidad de Alcalá. Revista Española De Educación Médica, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.702321
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