Research to train critical, reflective and analytical students

It is a unique opportunity to develop skills that allow them to design responses to problems using the foundations of the scientific method.

Independent University Communications.– Promoting permanently the effective and synergistic relationship between teaching and research is one of the strategic goals of the Autonomous University of Chile. For this reason, we seek to enhance teaching activity with an emphasis on research, while at the same time investigating aspects that may arise from teaching practice.

University research is necessary because It provides students with a unique opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroomThe ability to delve deeply into a particular topic, gain a broader understanding, and think critically and in detail about it.

One of the most important tools to strengthen this relationship is the Scientific Commencement Programme, which targets undergraduates from all faculties and professions interested in developing training and skills, explains Professor Gino Corsini, Doctor of Microbiology and Director of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Collaboration activities in scientific research projects complementary to their specialized training.

“This is his first approach to research. Here They are integrated into the scholarly work done by the teacher, and through collaborative and coordinated work, they both generate more new knowledge.

Another mechanism is the joint mentoring of university seminars. “Some choose to work on their thesis with a research tutor and are thus active participants in generating knowledge.”

Competencies, skills and abilities

One of the essential skills students must develop is to critically observe their environment, evaluate circumstances and context, and develop responses to problems in the communities in which they develop. Perhaps the most powerful tool is the scientific method.

“When a student conducts a laboratory experiment, reviews bibliographic sources or designs an assessment tool,” emphasizes Dr. Corsini, “what he or she is consciously doing is applying the scientific method.”

“If this intellectual exercise does not achieve the expected result, the student wonders why. To search for a rational explanation, you must be reflective, analytical, and creative to rethink your search for information, analyze what you did at different stages of the scientific method, and reinterpret the results.”