Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: In the new educational model promoted by the Bologna Declaration, the student profile is characterized by an active learner, independent, strategic, thoughtful, cooperative, etc. This current reform implies changes in the way of teaching to modify the student’s way of learning. That involves development of new teaching methodologies and educational structures aimed to solve problems, to encourage participation and to promote activity, independence, creativity and team work. In summary, we should be able to renovate the university teaching culture just based on the transmission of knowledge and to transform students from passive listeners into active learners. Incorporation of active learning strategies into the classroom tuition can and should be done.

OBJECTIVES: In order to adapt the teaching-learning process towards the creation of competencies, to facilitate independent learning of students and to improve student motivation and their academic results, we have diversified our teaching strategy by using active learning. We have also compared test scores and student participation from the current academic year with those of the previous one, in which the master class was the predominant method used. Finally, we wished to know how university students evaluate each methodology and whether or not exists a relation between this value and the academic results obtained.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the current academic year we have selected 2 subjects of the degree in Biology taught by different teachers. We have used several types of teaching strategies: participative lecture, individualized learning, cooperative learning and problem-based learning. To carry out this study, we included a total of 176 students of three consecutive years. We have designed a questionnaire looking for their opinion on the different teaching strategies and we have also compared this opinion with the academic scores obtained for each method.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that students appreciate the introduction of active learning, which gets higher scores in the evaluation, but their sensation of learning is greater with the participative lecture. Some of the major characteristics that students highlight from active learning are: they are involved in something more that passive listening, engaged in activities (reading, writing, discussing...), involved in higher order thinking (analysis, synthesis, searching information...), there is more emphasis on developing student skills and they have the opportunity to work in a team. However, students refuse to go along with active learning approaches because these alternatives represent a contrast to the very familiar passive listening role to which they have become accustomed.

Keywords:

Active learning, participative lecture, problem-based learning, cooperative learning, group interaction.