Project R-4638

Tools for semi-automatic independent study of cell biology for bachelor students (Education)

The failure rate in the first year of college is a problem that transcends beyond the 5 borders (language). Academic institutions each develop strategies to address this problem. These strategies are often developed within each language Community , following the recommendations of the relevant ministries. Very little exchange of good practices exist at this level between institutions of different communities in Belgium. The University of Hasselt, in particular in its Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences , using active teaching methods of promoting learning on a semi-autonomy way, making students responsible for their learning journey . In short, in the first year , the materials are grouped into modules (combining several specialties, such as physiology, cytology and histology). The chapters in these modules are organized in "self-learning missions" in which instructions are provided to achieve clear learning objectives , decorated with self-assessment and feedback moments in small groups. At the University of Liege, Faculty of sciences option life sciences, remediation sessions are organized, based among other things, on sheets of studies showing the main objectives of the chapters, as well as issues of self-assessment with feedback. These two approaches , proactive and retroactive , seem particularly complementary . In this project, we want to develop common materials (in French and Dutch) to support both approaches. This material will consist the first year in the joint creation of two chapters on the biology of the cell (the membrane and the cell periphery as well as the the cell cycle) . Our choice for these chapters is based on their essential character, but difficult for students .

01 October 2013 - 30 September 2016