Abstract:

Among the learning strategies, the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) has demonstrated to be an efficient teaching method oriented to improve the students’ work in the classroom through different participatory roles. This cooperative learning method has been applied to different subjects offered by the Faculty of Science at the University of Alicante. They correspond to Marine Science degree (Chemical Oceanography, 3rd course), Chemistry degree (Basic Laboratory Operations I, 1st course) and University Master's Degree in Materials Science (Conducting polymers). POGIL makes students develop their learning by following their needs using teaching materials, which are designed to allow students to work in self-managed groups. The role of the teacher in POGIL differs from conventional methods, being it a facilitating role of learning that encourages the students in the learning process and, therefore, students acquire the principal role in the development of the activities. The main task of teaching staff in this cooperative learning method is to guide and facilitate the proper development of each activity. The activities consist of a case study (model) that the students must examine carefully, the activity oriented by a set of headed key questions. These questions help them to understand efficiently the topic raised. Once members of each group have discussed and acquired the new concepts by answering a set of convergent key questions (critical thinking questions), they will be used in solving a set of exercises or problems. The work groups (3-5 people) read and analyse the abovementioned questions. Furthermore, these groups are expected to draft and expose the set of questions to other work groups to achieve a deep analysis of the activities. POGIL is intended to get students involved in different learning stages (active, reflection or thinking thoroughly, theoretical, practical).

The main stages of POGIL activities are:
a) reading and comprehension of the topic,
b) guided thinking thoroughly: reflection or critical questions are used,
c) own understanding of important concepts,
d) application of new concepts: allow students to use acquired knowledge in other topics raised.

The team-work is structured making use of specific roles like manager, secretary, technician, spokesperson, and analyst, which are rotating after each activity. The main objective of this method is to provide students the ability to think and solving any problem in work groups. POGIL also allows developing critical thinking in work groups, involving and forging all members in addressing any problem.

The POGIL activities can be elaborated following the following scheme:
identification of the learning goals (2-3 in each activity), define the success criteria (tests, exams, etc.), select the model that describe a process or a practical situation, prepare critical thinking questions to attract the attention from students to make them understand the process and contextualize the topic described. Finally, exercises and problems should be included so that students get familiar with the new concepts learned and these can be trained. The application of POGIL revealed an improvement of academic achievements, as well as a better comprehension of new chemical concepts, compared to those of conventional learning strategies. The POGIL method improves the interaction between students and academic staff, leading to greater involvement in the subject from students.

Keywords:

POGIL methodology, participatory roles, work group learning, guided inquiry.