This work presents an evaluation of a unified Calculus 1 course in a large Brazilian federal university. By course unification we mean having all the sections following the same weekly schedule, under the same syllabus and common assessment. We analyse two sets of data: pass rates relative to the 9 semesters prior to the unification and to the…

We created the "3-dimensional synaptic puzzle" (3Dsp) as an educational resource for the physiology teaching of synaptic transmission (ST). In this study, we aimed to apply and evaluate the use of 3Dsp. For this, we divided 175 university students from public and private universities into two groups: (1) control (CT; students that were…

In this paper, we describe a dynamic-model as a strategy to teach DNA transcription and translation in an active way. This activity aims to provide learning beyond memorisation through the simulation of molecular processes, stimulating the elaboration of questions and hypotheses by students. The dynamic consists of four steps, starting with…

Science dissemination or popularization of science refers to the act of facilitating the understanding of research and works of scientific and/or technological origin among the general public. Science dissemination is a relevant issue in the realm of public policy. Considering that in Brazil, the university is responsible for most of the…

This article examines student engagement in an inquiry-based learning activity, planned to provide students with elements in the social, epistemic, and conceptual dimensions related to the scientific practice in immunology. The activity was applied to 39 groups of students enrolled in immunology or biochemistry courses in a public university in…

This study briefly reports on a range of conflicts involving teaching work in joint-stock higher education organizations which trade shares in [B]3 stock market, especially Ânima, Estácio, Kroton and Ser Educacional. After the systematic organization of empirical observations, we defined our object through a methodology specific to the…

Brazil tertiary education has evolved substantially in the last 20 years. The policies set up by the Brazilian government aimed at different targets. There were actions to expand the enrollments in the country's public universities, mainly through a program called Reestruturação e Expansão das Universidades Federais (REUNI). The government also…

The aftermath of the international financial crisis of 2008/2009 and current economic downturn in the world economy has unsurprisingly put publicly-funded higher education (HE) systems under immense pressure in most parts of the world. Added to measures of the past 20 years, aiming at introducing cost effective management approaches imported from…