Promoting Understanding and Academic Success Using Guided Exercises Supported by ICT

Several studies reveal that the methodologies supported by Information Communication Technology (ICT) are useful to get attention of the new generation of students and make them interested in subjects. The use of methodologies supported by ICT can be a way of promoting active learning in Higher Education. In this work a case study is presented where a methodology supported by ICT called, Guided Exercises, was implemented. A Guided Exercise permits students to relate models and help them to solve a complex exercise step by step. This strategy was used in a Civil Engineering Course, Soil Mechanics II, in the academic year 2015/16. The results show that students considered the strategy useful for the understanding of the concepts covered in the course. Analysing the academic performance, it can be concluded that students that used this methodology had better marks in the exam and, also, a better approval ratio.