Abstract

The commitment of the academic community with its own learning has brought up different educational methodologies that differ in terms of the treatment of its components, such as students, teachers and the surroundings, and how they participate in the teaching-learning process. The marked differences between the active methodologies are being studied to evaluate their effectiveness compared with the classical instructional system. This paper compares the 2007-2012 periods, where only one of them was intervened with active methodologies, with significant results. The sample used was composed of 341 students divided into 12 semesters. To make the comparison different variables such as age, gender, urban location, and grades in the Food Engineering course of the Faculty of Technology of the University of Santiago of Chile were used. Academic achievement was evaluated through the use of portfolios and projects. The results of the students' academic achievement show a marked improvement with the use of active methodologies for the studied period, and a significant decrease in the failing rate of the students.