Botanical marathon, a lifelong learning experience

The pedagogical proposal was put forward in a degree work presented by the students of the Agronomic Engineering program, Nicolás Rodríguez, Diego Téllez, and directed by the research teacher Liz Karen Ruiz, Master in Biological Sciences, emphasis in Plant Systematic Botany of the University of the Andes.

“For four years, in different academic settings, this methodological initiative was presented, employing participatory exercises based on pedagogical theories such as meaningful learning, constructivism, and education for life. The teaching method consisted of an interactive, playful, and dynamic exercise that was evaluated based on assertiveness and response time. In each implementation, learning alternatives were introduced that connected the environment and context in pursuit of cognitive universality, which allowed the proposed activities to be understood at any academic level,” states Liz Karen Ruiz, lead research professor, Agrociencia group, Facatativá extension.

The proposal was designed taking into account the physical facilities where the marathon takes place, for example: the University of Cundinamarca (Fusagasugá campus and Facatativá extension), the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia, and the University of the Amazon. At each institution, a number of riddles were created that led the players to specific locations such as laboratories, university buildings, and classrooms. Upon finding the designated location, the participants completed a specific challenge in botany, ethnobotany, taxonomy and in-situ species identification, ecology, flora, biodiversity, evolution, biogeography, and conservation.

The thesis allowed for the evaluation of each of the data obtained in the five activities. The proposal concludes that the strategy promotes the learning of botany and is an activity that motivates the study of plant sciences. Likewise, the authors highlight the survey responses: "It can be concluded that 100% of the participants, if a new marathon were held, would accept the challenge, and stated that the activities reinforced their knowledge in botany.".

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