Abstract

ISOLINA CARDOZO, Samantha Mirta; MARCELO ANDINO, Gerardo; BRUNNETTI ESQUIVEL, Alba Beatriz  and  ESPINDOLA, Etel. Effectiveness of the active methods as a teaching-learning strategy in large and heterogeneous groups . Educ Med Super [online]. 2008, vol.22, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 0864-2141.

OBJECTIVE: to obtain data on the effectiveness of active methods as a teaching-learning strategy in large and heterogeneous groups. METHODS: a prospective longitudinal study was conducted in 540 students divided into 2 cohorts. Independent study and group work were implemented as active methods in one of them, whereas in the other the contents were dictated by means of traditional expositive classes. RESULTS: the cohort that was applied active methods did not have a higher performance. CONCLUSIONS: the performances achieved in both cohorts did not show statistically significant differences as regards the effectiveness of the active methods as a teaching-learning strategy. Most of the students considered more useful this teaching methodology. The inconveniences found were caused by the limitations of human resources that did not make possible to work with smaller groups. The opinion of the students encouraged the search of alternatives to optimize these methods in order to attain a significant learning in large and heterogeneous groups.

Keywords : Teaching-learning strategies; large and heterogeneous groups; significant learning; active methods.

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