Improving Study Habits of Undergraduate Students that Failed a First Semester Course

Abstract

Undergraduate students who failed a course in the first semester 2014, and took an intensive course in July 2014, achieved a better academic performance than a group that failed a course in the first semester 2013 and repeated the regular course in the first semester 2014. The intensive course stimulated new study habits and their professors generated the interactive learning activities that are used in a "flipped class". This article analyzes comments made by students about the time spent preparing their participation in class, identifying doubts and eventually solving them. In addition, students commented on positive and negative aspects of the intensive course. Most students said the flipped class had improved their study habits with respect to the traditional classroom. The university will follow up the academic performance of both groups in the next two years to check whether the positive effect of changes in habits reported by students is maintained over time.