Teacher training through the solution of a biotechnological problem in a computer supported collaborative learning environment

Abstract

The social impact that biotechnology has in schools demands that biology teachers be constantly up to date. While looking for training proposals, teachers search for strategies that allow them to introduce biotechnology concepts in their classroom in an innovative way. In order to give an answer to this need, we designed a teacher training course on a biotechnology subject: transgenic plants. The strategy implemented was problem-based learning (PBL) in a computer supported collaborative learning environment (CSCL). The course focused on the resolution of an open problem in which teams of four people worked in a collaborative way. Each person had to fulfill a specific role in the resolution of the problem. The results of the application of this experience and some teaching considerations are discussed in this article.