Anatomy of Educational Innovations Based on Learning by Discovery in Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines the teaching innovations resulting from the Bologna Process, focusing on problem-based learning and gamification, both of which emphasize the importance of autonomous learning. It reviews meta-analyses and prominent articles in the field of educational research from the last 5 years. Using a biomedical analogy, it identifies the active principles of discovery-based learning innovations, highlighting the subordination of theoretical content to practical skills and the disruption of the teacher-student dichotomy. Adverse effects are noted, such as the devaluation of lectures, the discrediting of teacher authority, and the infantilization of students. The effectiveness of discovery-based learning in higher education is considered weak and inconsistent, and caution is advised in its implementation, together with the preservation of the university’s social function of transmitting knowledge at advanced levels.