Abstract:

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a project-based learning methodology as part of a Plant Tissue Culture course, of a Biotechnology university degree. Two groups of 42 students each carried out a plant in vitro culture project in small groups. The project consisted in the development of an experimental work, where students had to propose the objectives of the work, made the laboratory experiments, record results and present a paper. Besides, they attended lectures, seminars (paper comprehension) and practical classes (for the acquisition of basic laboratory skills). In order to assess the acquisition of basic knowledge on the matter, two questionnaires were carried out at the beginning and at the end of the laboratory sessions of the project. The effectiveness of the project-based learning was evaluated considering their progress through the projects’ questionnaires, the students’ knowledge gain (written exam marks) and the perception of their satisfaction in the course and in the project-based methodology. For this last assessment, a survey about the different learning methods employed in the course and the project-based learning methodology was carried out at the end of the semester. The assessment showed that students attained high marks in the written exam (70% of them above 6.5/10). Approximately 84 % of the students agreed that the project-based assignment enabled them to gain an in-depth understanding of plant in vitro culture techniques. Likewise, 89% of the students considered that the assignment provided an opportunity to better understand theoretical concepts. In conclusion, the survey revealed that the students had a high satisfaction with the course (8/10) and with the activities carried out, including the project (9/10). Our results show that the project assignment allowed the students to achieve new learning outcomes directly related to experimental work and the scientific method.

Keywords:

Project-based learning, satisfaction survey, gain of knowledge' assessment.