Abstract
A major challenge for undergraduate science instructors is to maintain students motivated while, at the same time, deliver critical thinking skills. We conducted a prospective study to measure the impact of gradually implementing active learning on motivation and critical thinking in students enrolled in several sections of a genetics course, which has high drop out and failure rates in the undergraduate biology curriculum of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Instructors received training and guidance on planning and delivering active-learning material in their course, but the implementation has been gradual, and several topics are still taught through traditional lecturing. We hypothesize that topics taught using evidence-based active learning result in higher achievement in test scores, higher levels of critical thinking and student motivation compared to topics delivered traditionally by the same instructors. Preliminary data suggest that active learning enhance student motivation and critical thinking, especially in students with a record of poor or average scores in prior courses. These results suggest that a gradual implementation of student-centered, evidence-based teaching practices could significantly improve learning and motivation of students.
Presenters
Marcos NahmadPrincipal Investigator, Physiology, Biophysics and Neurosciences, Center for Research and Advanced Studies, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Active Learning, Motivation, Critical Thinking, Higher Education Teaching
