The Future of Education

Authors

Alfredo Báez Simón, M.Sc.

Professor of the Agroforestry Engineering Degree Program

Complejo Regional Norte, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla, Mexico.

E-mail: [email protected]

Ms. Nadia Selene Ronquillo Sánchez

Professor of the Bachelor's Degree in Nursing program.

Complejo Regional Norte, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla, México.

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract.

Public health education faces the challenge of training professionals with a comprehensive vision and analytical skills for evidence-based decision making. In this context, the use of QGIS software in higher education is presented as an educational innovation that facilitates the application of geospatial tools for health care and strategic planning.

This study, developed at the Tetela de Ocampo campus of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, implemented a multidisciplinary approach in which nursing and agroforestry engineering students worked together to analyze epidemiological data and generate thematic maps that reflect key public health indicators. Through stratification of the territory (Perez et al., 2016), communities with specific needs were identified, allowing detailed analysis of factors such as vaccination rates, disease prevalence, and environmental risks.

The use of QGIS in higher education not only strengthens competencies in data analysis, but also promotes the integration of critical thinking, teamwork and digital literacy applied to public health. In addition, its open source nature facilitates its implementation in institutions with limited resources, favoring its adoption in various academic and professional contexts (Fernandez, 2014; Iyamu et al., 2021).

The results of this proposal show that the application of geospatial technologies allows a better understanding of health problems and strengthens the capacity of students to develop data-driven intervention strategies. In turn, interdisciplinary training allows future health and agroforestry engineering professionals to understand the interconnection between environmental and health factors, which is key to improve planning and management in public health (Hans et al., 2014).

Key words.

Health care, educational innovation, QGIS.

References

- Fernández Silano, M. (2014). Health 2.0 and health care in the digital era. Risaralda Medical Journal, 20(1), 41-46.

- Hans, A., Kumar, S., & Patel, V. (2014). Integrating digital technologies in public health. International Journal of Digital Health, 7(3), 45-59.

- Iyamu, I., Xu, A. X., Gomez-Ramirez, O., Ablona, A., Chang, H. J., Mckee, G., & Gilbert, M. (2021). Defining digital public health and the role of digitization, digitization, and digital transformation: scoping review. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 7(11), e30399.

- Pérez Betancourt, Y. G., González Polanco, L., Morales Pérez, R., & Torres Vega, Y. (2016). Stratification of territories based on health indicators on the QGIS Geographic Information System. Revista Cubana de Ciencias Informáticas, 10, 163-175.