EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT METHODS FOR PRACTICAL LESSONS: CLASSROOM, ON-LINE AND PEER LEARNING

Different methods were used to evaluate how students acquired concepts regarding animal physiology. In the classroom, students were asked to complete two crossword puzzles, before and after the course. In a lab practical, students were asked to teach fellow students about rabbit anatomy (peer-learning). On-line, students watched two videos about in vitro fertilization and chicken dissection. Learning was assessed immediately after those tasks and again later as part of the final exam. At the end of the course, a questionnaire was provided to assess student preferences for teaching methods. Students that passed the course during the term (continuous evaluation), got higher grades on the crosswords both before and after the course, while those that failed got lower grades. Test results from questionnaires given shortly after lab practicals and videos were quite high (above 7/10), but lower in written exams given weeks later. Overall, students stated that their learning experience was better during hands on practicals, as compared to peer-learned practicals or online videos.