Abstract:

“BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES STRUCTURE” is a compulsory subject in the second year of the Degree in Biochemistry at Complutense University of Madrid. This subject provides an approach to the knowledge of the different components that constitute the biological membranes and their structure/function relationships.

In the following project, we present a didactic proposal based on the assessment of learning outcomes and the Flipped Classroom methodology. This didactic project also employs digital material based on new information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as H5P videos. The main objective is to involve students in their learning process and highlight the applicability of the subject to solve biomedical or health problems. Students must cooperate to develop a drug delivery system for different therapeutics and administration routes. To that end, a three stages process is proposed:
(i) constitution of pretended pharmaceutical or biotechnological companies by the students and choice of the research and development pipelines;
(ii) development of the drug delivery system; and
(iii) product presentation.

Professors and mentor students, who have previously completed the course, lead the students through this process, offering developmental pathways and providing additional didactic material.

Our results indicate a significant educational impact: 90% of the students improved their understanding of the biotechnological applications of lipids, and 95% showed an improvement in their autonomous learning. In addition, students developed fundamental working skills like complex problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, judgment, decision-making, and communication skills.

By shifting focus from traditional instruction to flipped learning and assessment of learning outcomes, this system holds promise for improving students’ ability to identify and solve issues, search and analyze bibliography, generate new ideas, make informed decisions, and apply knowledge in real-life scenarios. However, we noticed that the students used generative artificial intelligence for literature review, completion of the different activities, and decision making. Future research directions include getting students aware of the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence.

Keywords:

Flipped Classroom, Collaborative learning, Learning outcomes, Problem-based learning, Self-learning, Critical thinking.