ADOPTION OF JUST-IN-TIME TEACHING, PEER INSTRUCTION AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING – IMPACTS ON ENGINEERING STUDENTS PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The present educational system determines the amount of time students must spend in class, not the time required to master the content, so that many students are forced to move to the next subject along with the other classmates, not when they are ready to do so. This article presents an example of the actions developed by a group of teachers/professors from the Dom Bosco Educational Association - AEDB, a private educational institution located in the city of Resende/RJ, Brazil, to reduce these gaps, through the use of Active Learning Methodologies. Fundamentals of such methodologies are presented, focusing in Just-in-Time Teaching, Peer instruction, and Team-based learning. Their effectiveness are assessed through exam results comparison: Undergraduate students who are taking Transport Phenomena course with such methodologies had exams results significantly better than previous classes submitted to traditional teaching strategies. A survey was promoted to assess students’ acceptance in regards to the changes implemented in the course. Their perception is that the debates promoted in the Peer Instruction are important to the learning process of students. The same happened in regards to the video lessons and Quizzes, expressing their preference for the active learning methodologies.