The change of the paradigm
entailed in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has without question
represented an improvement in the educational process. We consider that
university teachers currently organize learning environments which involve
their students. In the context of the EHEA, the evaluation system is designed
to get to know the students’ acquirement of knowledge and competences. In this
framework, we consider that the students’ tutored and self-directed learning
favors their acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue their
university studies and their professional and life project.
However, this change has also
highlighted a series of problems which appear in the university environment in
the EHEA. This work presents the results of the implementation of a series of
innovations proposed with the aim of improving students’ academic performance,
reducing the drop-out rate, acquiring group work skills, and showing students
the advantages of computer tools and virtual environments.
To do so, the research has
been carried out over five academic years, compiling information via surveys
and interviews of the students in a subject, which is taught in the 2nd. year
of Degree of Political Sciences and Administration at the Pablo de Olavide University
(Seville, Spain): "Quantitative Methods applied to Social Sciences".
Being a quantitative subject that is taught in the area of Social Sciences
means that from the start the students in general reject it a priori. To avoid
this leading to the students dropping out or not passing the subject, we put
into practice a teaching model based on the students’ continuous evaluation.
The teaching model means that 50% of the time is dedicated to theoretical
classes and 50% to practical classes (which take place in smaller-sized
classrooms or in computer labs). In the case of the theoretical classes, the
students are evaluated at the end of the semester by a written examination. The
practical classes are assessed using three individual tests during the semester
and a weekly individual follow-up work.
After introducing the
methodological and evaluating innovations, we have achieved an increase in the
number of students who pass the subject, a reduction in the drop-out rate and a
better use of Information and Communication Technologies. Although this has meant
a greater workload for the teaching team and the students, the skills which we
have worked on have had a satisfactory short-term result. At the same time, we
consider that this experience can be applied to any subject studied in the
university area.
Primary Language | English |
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Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | April 29, 2019 |
Submission Date | February 17, 2019 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019Volume: 5 Issue: 13 |
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