Abstract:

This paper reports a teaching innovation implemented in the first-year Organic Chemistry laboratory of a Biotechnology degree. We integrated role-playing with cooperative learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted digital resources to contextualize experimental practice and strengthen transversal skills. Across five two-hour sessions, 60 students worked in teams of two or three within simulated professional scenarios—for example, research and development (R&D) teams selecting “the polymer of the future,” green-chemistry researchers preparing an international poster on aspirin synthesis, or forensic analysts identifying functional groups. Each scenario culminated in a different academic product (contextualized report, scientific video, international-style poster, forensic report, or podcast). Scenarios and assessment tools were drafted with AI support (guided prompts and instructor curation) to ensure alignment with learning outcomes.

Assessment combined hetero-, self-, and peer-evaluation, applying checklists, rating scales, and rubrics tailored to each product and framed by Universal Design for Learning principles to offer multiple means of action/expression. A validated questionnaire (Likert items plus open questions) measured students’ perceptions of the methodology and the quality/relevance of the deliverables.

The response rate was 93.3%. Positive agreement (“agree/strongly agree”) was high on key items: role-playing improved content contextualization (82.1%), fostered active engagement (76.8%), and developed transversal competencies (82.1%). Students valued the diversity of products for learning (75.0%) and perceived instructions and guidance as clear and continuous (both 89.3%). Overall valuation of the methodology reached 91.1%, and 76.8% expressed interest in seeing it applied in other courses. Open-ended responses highlighted the authenticity and variety of the scenarios, the motivational effect of alternating formats, and the usefulness of the collaborative Padlet space for sharing and feedback. Suggested improvements focused on structural constraints (session time, student-to-lab ratio), workload balance against course weighting, and scheduling practices earlier to avoid exam-period overload; students also proposed a flipped-classroom preparation phase to reserve lab time for experimentation and targeted support.

Findings indicate that embedding cooperative role-playing in laboratory teaching—augmented by AI-assisted design and multimodal assessment—enhances motivation, scientific communication, decision-making, and critical thinking in early-stage students. The approach offers a scalable pathway to connect experimental procedures with authentic professional contexts, support inclusive assessment, and better prepare students for biotechnology-related careers.

Keywords:

Role-playing, cooperative learning, AI-assisted teaching, Organic Chemistry laboratory, Universal Design for Learning, higher education.