This study assesses the potential human health risks posed by six heavy metals (Hg, As, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) found in five of the most consumed fish species (Mugil incilis, Centropomus undecimalis, Cathorops mapale, Eugerres plumieri, and Elops smithi) collected by the riverine population living in Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), the largest estuary in Colombia. Metal concentrations were low compared with those reported in other regions around the world and the maximum value established by international monitoring organizations. The estimation of the potential risk (HQ) indicated that Cu and Hg could generate negative effects in groups of women of childbearing age (WCA) and the remaining population (RP), because they exceeded their related reference doses, with HQ values > 1; however, Cu and Hg concentrations were not high in fish and EWI, MFW, or MeHgPSL values shows that there is no evidence of a potential health risk from MeHg exposure in the study population. Therefore, the recommendations are to establish continuous monitoring of heavy metals together with strategies that address the high fish consumption, as well as to implement mechanisms for the mitigation of contamination of the watershed, to ensure the safety of organisms in the ecosystem and human health, not only of populations who depend on aquatic resources in the area but also of those that market and consume these resources in the Colombian Caribbean.

The Advanced Learning Methodology (AdLM) is presented as an improvement of the collaborative work assisted by the teacher, in order to strengthen the competences in the development of teamwork and close gaps in the Action Research (AR) process. To implement the methodology, a short course on High Performance Computing (HPC) is presented as a learning object. This short course is oriented to a group of Systems Engineering students of the University of Pamplona (Colombia). In order to validate the progress of knowledge appropriation through AdLM, an evaluation or test is applied at three different times: at the beginning, in the intermediate and at the short course's ending. The difference between each test represents a knowledge gap as a quantitative measure of knowledge appropriation. The results show that AdLM provides an alternative in the active and collaborative participation of the students, and additionally proposes a quantitative measurement of the appropriation of knowledges progress.