Abstract:

The implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has requested the modification of the teaching processes enhancing the development of new teaching methodologies (Ferro, Martinez and Otero, 2009) that are chosen to situate students at the center of the pedagogical process, as the protagonists of their own training.

This situation has evoked that university professors rethink in terms of how to teach their subjects. That is because, traditional methodologies dominated by lectures and practical exercises in which students are passive recipients of information delivered by the lecturer, are not enough to achieve the new objectives that are proposed. In the era of information technology and telecommunications, educators have to assume a role as facilitators of learning, helping students to construct their own knowledge and own skills to face with the new demands that society is placing on young people (Arias y Fidalgo, 2013;Markovic and Marcovick 2012;Boni y Lozano, 2007; Riesco, 2008).

This task is easier if we use different teaching strategies, which may include active learning methodologies. With the use of active learning methodologies the students themselves, guided by professors, take responsibility for their learning process and gradually boost their own knowledge. (Robledo et al 2015, Arbelaitz, Martín and Muguerza, 2015). More specifically, these methodologies force student to read, think, explain, solve problems and cases, with the aim of enhancing their autonomy and responsibility.

Within this context, this paper presents an experience with the use of an active methodology -the puzzle (Aronson, 1978)- in an Operation Management course- compulsory subject of 6 ECTS-taught in the second year of the Business Administration and Management Degree program at the University of Cantabria (UC) during the academic year 2016-2017.

The introduction of active learning methodologies on this subject is analyzed for two reasons (Medina Lopez et al 2011). Firstly, operations management is a subject difficult to teach because its application is not easy to perceive by students. Secondly, the operation area has generally been slow to incorporate innovative teaching. In this sense, previous investigations have suggested that students’ perceived understanding of the subject and the strategic importance of operations management in the company could be improved by the introduction of active learning (Fish, 2007 y 2008).

Consequently, the aim of the paper is to analyze the perceptions with the use of “the Puzzle” from the students’ perspective in this specific subject. More precisely, two types of data were considered for analysis: their marks, and their level of satisfaction.

In order to attain this objective an empirical study has been made. The questionnaire survey conducted to collect the necessary data to develop the study took place in March of 2017, with a final sample of 143 students.

Keywords:

New learning methodologies, active methodologies, puzzle, operations management.