Abstract:

Introduction:
The new study plans introduced in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), in accordance with the Bologna Plan promotes the application of new teaching resources in university studies, aimed at improving the exposition in class, in order to increase the university education. On the other hand, this plan promotes the active participation by students in the teaching process and self learning activities.

Aims:
With the aim of increasing the quality of exposition in university degrees studies, and according to the European Higher Education Area, this study wants to determine the opinions of the students of Physiology and Physiopathology in the degree of Pharmacy, Granada University, in order to enable the teaching staff to better adapt to the students’ characteristics. Furthermore, this work wants to assess the suitability and applicability of students’ preparing and presenting seminars, as one of the teaching methodologies suggested in the context of the EHEA, for Spanish university students.

Material and Methods:
Students of Pharmacy at the University of Granada were given individual questionnaires to be filled in, anonymously, stating their opinions on various aspects of the teaching activity with respect to this subject and regarding the preparation and classroom performance of seminars by students. The study population was constituted of 98 students of Physiology and Physiopathology. The questionnaires were filled in by the students during class time in an obligatory subject in the new study plan.

Results:
86% of the students considered the performance of seminars in class to be worthwhile, highlighting as its most positive aspect the acquisition of skills such as public speaking techniques (75%) and increased awareness of non-verbal communication resources (90%). However, 94.4% of the students considered they learned much better when taught in the classical lesson format. Moreover, 69% stated that participation in seminars did not produce any improvement in their skills in the use of computing resources. The replies made to questions as to whether they had learned to make good use of bibliographic resources, whether they had developed a critical sense, whether they felt encouraged to participate in discussions deriving from the seminars or whether they enjoyed learning by teaching, revealed considerable disparities in opinion among these students.
85% of the students stated that the traditional lecture is the best educational method for this subject. 56% stated that classroom discussions constitute the worst approach.

According to our data, 94% of the students had no preference between the teacher “who dictates the subject notes and provides the necessary explanations in parallel” and the teacher “who bases his/her explanation on a PowerPoint presentation, in which the student may find the whole content of the class”. However, both attitudes are valued more positively than that of the teacher “who provides bibliographic references and explains the subject with the assistance of presentations, whilst encouraging the students to participate: the students create their own notes, independently, on the basis of the guidance provided by the teacher and the content of the proposed bibliography” (83% of the students).

Conclusions:
Some improvement is achieved in students’ learning with the performance of seminars and students prefer a classical exposition.

Keywords:

Physiology, physiopathology, didactic methods, students’ opinion.