The implementation of the European Credit Transference System (ECTS) implies a conceptual reorganization of the educative systems and a change of paradigm in the academic culture. In this context, since the 2005/2006 courses, the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Valencia has been implemented a project to adapt the actual degree to the European Higher Education Area. The principal aim was to apply changes in the courses and subjects organization, including the uses of Information and Communication Technologies, active methodologies (case studies, problem-solving, project based learning, etc.), modification and flexibilization of assessment and evaluation of the student performance. These changes constitute an opportunity to improve the formative program and the teaching-learning system.
In the scope of analytical chemistry education, the adaptation to the ECTS could be an opportunity to solve chronic problems such as programs strongly oriented to the knowledge acquisition, methodologies focused on lectures, passive attitude of the students, losses rates of academic performance and elevated rates of desertion. In this communication, the use of active methodologies to adapt the introductory analytical chemistry course to the credit system ECTS in the degree of Pharmacy is presented.
To adapt the subject to the new system, the working hours of the students have been assessed in terms of ECTS, the time for traditional lecture classes has been diminished and activities of practical type (teamwork, problem solving, case studies, etc.) have been introduced. The course is structured around five types of activities: lectures, classes of problems, the practical classes of laboratory, the tutorships and the workshops. In order to promote the cooperative learning most of the activities were designed for students to work in structured teams of 4-5 members stables during the whole course.
In order to overcome the drawbacks that often occur in lectures, various collaborative activities were introduced. These activities can help students focus on the material, organize the material in advance of its presentation, understand the material being taught, etc… The classes of problems are devoted to the resolution by the work teams of questions and problems related to subjects presented in lectures. In workshops, the teacher provides the necessary materials (the worksheet, a case, research papers, etc…) and proposes some activities to achieve the learning goals. Every student has to prepare individually these activities that later student team complete in classroom. The end of the workshop consists of an interactive discussion of the worksheet answers. Finally, every work team has to present a report for his evaluation.
In order to guide the students in their learning process, study guides for each of the topics were elaborated. Each study guide gives the learning goals, the available material provided by the teacher, and a list with the individual tasks and the cooperative activities to complete in the classroom.
The methodological changes introduced in the analytical chemistry course have been, in general, well received by the students. Class participation and attendance are higher than they were in the previous version of this course. In addition, the academic results have notably improved and the rate of desertion has drastically diminished.