El laboratorio en Química Orgánica: una propuesta para la promoción de competencias científico-tecnológicas

Abstract

From different spaces it has been stated that the training in competences would seem to be the challenge of High Education. In this teaching model, not only is the understanding of the conceptual content of the disciplines important, but also the acquisition of the complex skills needed to develop competently.

This paper presents a proposal for the experimental part of a university course of Organic Chemistry based on the approach of teaching by competences. We believe that, through its implementation, competencies such as: organization and decision making, manual skills, investigative procedures and attitudes, conceptual understanding, social attitudes and information management, are promoted. Students must design a work plan whose objective is the isolation and purification of a natural product, using all the theoretical tools studied and the materials and reagents available. Subsequently they must present it in oral and written form, execute it and make a final report (written and oral) in which the results are communicated, analyzed and discussed.

The experiences showed a greater motivation of the students and an environment of great potentiality to favor the acquisition of scientific-technological competences. These kinds of experiences are transferable to other disciplines that require experimental work.