Science for everybody: A proposal for fostering learning from OCW

Abstract

Knowledge is an essential condition for social development and well-being. It is a basic human right and enables people to exercise other rights, allowing them to enhance their skills and improve their environment. Fortunately, due to the Internet, educational initiatives become more accessible and efficient for training. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between information and knowledge. As a result of technological improvements, we live in a world surrounded by information, which is the cornerstone of knowledge. To be able to access this knowledge also requires the use of more advanced aspects such as understanding and critical analysis. In this brief communication, we present our experience developing a course at the Technical University of Madrid published on OpenCourseWare (OCW) a novelty of which lies in the incorporation of Learning Guides for Students. These guidelines are at the beginning of each thematic unit and its purpose is to guide and accompany the students in their learning. They foster course engagement and also concepts and skills acquisition. The results provided by Google Analytics regarding the students use over several academic years confirm the benefits of this proposal.