Table 5 Qualitative results of the development of research skills and creative thinking, during the learning process and as a learning result, obtained through the comments of the students that performed the open IBL course (n = 175), and the focus groups (n = 32)
Category | Subcategory | Subcategory | Findings | Quotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Learning process | Creative process of knowledge construction | Open scenario | An open scenario stimulates creative thinking: students seek original ideas to differentiate themselves from other groups and are free to decide what to do and how to do it. This results in new ideas, integrating different fields and perspectives. | Open problems make you differentiate yourself from the other groups, be original. If they were closed, you would probably be less original. If we can choose and decide, it is easier to have more options and to create. You realize all the ways you can focus on a problem—all the fields, topics, and methodologies to use. |
Cooperative work | Working with peers from different fields makes students integrate each other’s perspective to reach a group consensus, makes a more complete project, and adds value. | If we can understand each other, we can touch more fields and do a better project. Others’ strengths and perspectives compensate for our shortcomings. | ||
Inquiry | Inquiry cycle makes students analyze the situation and propose new ideas, apply knowledge, and seek alternative solutions. | In this process, when we have a problem, we must seek alternative solutions, decide which is best, and think. | ||
Limitations | Openness makes students choose creative projects that are difficult to realize. Expectations do not correspond to time. Friction between peers and difficulties during the project can limit creativity. | The topic was too open and at first we didn’t know how to focus the project. We must be careful with expectations; we thought we could do a project and then we realized we had insufficient time. The funding was inadequate for our project design. | ||
Learning outcomes | Skills development | Transversal skills | Oral and written communication, critical search for information, and self-learning skills were developed. | We all contributed to writing. We had to explain to peers what we had done and found every week. We had to decide alone what we wanted to do and how we had to do it. |
Research skills | Students gained experience in the designing laboratory experiments, searching for protocols, planning interventions, analyzing problems, seeking solutions, and evaluating contributions. | If you want to do a research project, you need to do library research but also plan an experiment, develop it, and analyze the results. For the first time we had to plan a project and all this entails. | ||
Critical thinking | Discussing problems with peers gave students a critical view of the possibilities, limitations, and improvements of their research. | We were able to develop a critical view, reflecting on and discussing our project. We evaluated what we had done and said what we could improve. | ||
Scientific product | Scientific product | Most projects were original, society-related, and integrated different fields and perspectives. | Some people did educational projects, others basic research. One group designed a communication proposal. Others more epidemiological projects... |