The trajectory of Virgínia Schall: integration of Health, Education, Science and Literature.

This article presents Virgínia Schall's professional career, interrupted very early. It highlights her major role in the integration of the fields of Health, Education and Scientific Dissemination in Brazil. The contextualization of her academic and literary production as a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, demonstrates Virgínia's contribution in strengthening the institution and in the teaching of dozens of researchers and students.

Blended learning in biochemistry education: analysis of medical students' perceptions.

The objective of this study was to analyze first-year UFRJ medical students' perceptions about the implementation of a blended learning (BL) experience in their Biochemistry I course. During the first semester of 2009, three Biochemistry professors used the Constructore course management system to develop virtual learning environments (VLEs) for complementing course Modules I, II, and IV, using different resources and activities. Forty-nine students (46%) took part in the study.

Teaching energy metabolism using scientific articles: Implementation of a virtual learning environment for medical students.

This work describes the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) applied to the biochemistry class for undergraduate, first-year medical students at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The course focused on the integration of energy metabolism, exploring metabolic adaptations in different physiological or pathological states such as starvation, diabetes, and exercise. The VLE was designed to combine online activities with traditional course content and presented guided inquiry-based activities to assist in the use of original scientific articles as educational resources.

[Ongoing, flexible distance learning through the Internet: course on decentralized management of human resources in health care].

This paper describes the Course on Decentralized Management of Human Resources in Health Care, which is an Internet-based distance learning program to train and provide continuing education for health care professionals. The program is an initiative of the Pan American Health Organization, and it was organized in response to the growing need for self-reliant professionals who can constantly upgrade their knowledge without having to leave their place of work. The proposed model promotes an educational process that brings together theory and practice in realistic and relevant contexts and that maximizes the participation of students, both individually and in groups.