The Tutorial Program in Biochemistry at UFV: Improvement of the Activities and Performance of the Enrolled Students

Resumo

The Tutorial Program in Biochemistry  at UFV is reaching  the objectives  since the creation,  in 2001. Based  on the  accomplishment  of weekly sessions (2h),  which  tutor and  programs  students reunite to effects the  apprenticeship marked  by the  inter-activity,  the  Program  aims to give support to stu- dents  with  deficiency of basic knowledge.  For  this  reason,  reproved  students or students with  poor performance  in pre-requisites  subjects  are  automatically inscribed.   The  attending students receive satisfactory grade (S, frequency greater  than  75%), or not satisfactory grade (N). The work method- ology has been modified to obtain  better results.   This  study  aimed  evaluate  the  performance  of the Programs students through  modifications,  as the  elimination  of the theoretical session of 1h-weekly and the implantation of didactic  little-books containing  script classes and exercise lists.  Satisfactory results  indicated  that in 7 analyzed  semesters  (from I-2001 to I-2004), the attending students (S) got similar  average  final-grade  (70.48)  if compared  with  students not  enrolled  in the  Program  (71.64); not attending students (N, 56.81) got significantly  lower final-grade.  The failure rate  for S grade stu- dents  (8.69%) was similar to the rate  of not-enrolled  students (8.97%), both  very lower than  N grade students (30.71%).  Based on the  necessity  of additional didactic material, two didactics  little-books were prepared  to  be used  in sessions.   The  little-books  Tutoria em Bioqu´ımica:  Biomol´eculas  and Tutoria em Bioqu´ımica:  Metabolismo  Celular  guide discussions  in classes, emphasizing  exercises.  It constitutes a considerable  advance,  according  to Programs students:  it  guides  and  encourages  the studies.  A questionnaire revealed  the  high acceptance  degree (97.29%) of these didactic  little-books. Considering  the obtained  results,  the Program  is reaching the proposed goal. Implanted modifications are contributing to the success of the Tutorial Program. Supported by MEC/Brasil.