Blog construction as an effective tool in biochemistry active learning

Abstract

To boost active learning in undergraduate students, they were given the task of preparing blogs on topics of clinical biochemistry. This “experiment” lasted for 12 teaching-semesters (from 2008 to 2013), and included a survey on the blogs' usefulness at the end of each semester. The survey (applied in the 2008-2010 period) used a Likert-like questionnaire with eight questions and a 1-to-6 scale, from “totally disagree” to “fully agree.” Answers of 428 students were analyzed and indicated overall approval of the blog activity: 86% and 35% of the responses scored 4-to-6 and 6, respectively. Considering the survey results, the high grades obtained by students on their blogs (averaging 8.3 in 2008–2010), and the significant increase in average grades of the clinical biochemistry exam after the beginning of the blog system (from 5.5 in 2007 to 6.4 in 2008–2010), we concluded that blogging activity on biochemistry is a promising tool for boosting active learning. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(3):205–215, 2017.