The first project was carried out from 2003 to 2006. 1,150 students from 42 groups of three different universities (Universitat de València, UPV and UCV) permitted to verify that different learning processes were used by students (learning strategies, learning approaches). The students’ efficiency depended on the teaching typology used by professors: those using modern methods focused on students got better results than those using traditional methods (lectures and exams).

The last project, conducted from 2013 to 2016, took a learning-based approach. Teaching bodies from three universities and an associated university centre (Universitat de València, UPV, UCV and Florida Universitaria) participated in the research. They used coherent methods in the learning process and the assessment (cooperative work, problem resolution, participatory lectures, questions, portfolios, concept maps, etc.). The project verified that students used more complex learning methods and deeper approaches. They acquired more complex cognitive and metacognitive capacities and valued the learning environment created by the teachers, as it improved the performance when comparing the situation before and after the professor’s teaching. The sample included more than 2,700 students that were taught by 72 professors, and almost 100 groups.

Professor Bernardo Gargallo, director of the group, indicates that methods must be changed to improve education. “We have to encourage students’ autonomous learning and their commitment to this process. Our priority is to articulate teaching and assessment methods intended for the student body. They must prove their efficiency when they are properly combined, especially during the first courses, in which there is a high rate of failure and abandonment.  Methods with a learning or student-based approach achieve a higher commitment from students, higher motivation, quality learning and better academic results. It also requires the teaching body to be more committed and dedicated, but it is worth it” he states.

GIPU is a group with a long trajectory. They have more than 15 years of experience researching on teaching-learning processes at university.  As a result, four competitive R+D+I projects have been developed in competitive public calls (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, MICINN, MINECO). The last one of them was achieve in the last MINECO call. It has permitted to delve into teaching and assessment university methods, its impact in the students’ learning process and performance, superb student profiles and a methodological change based in the students’ learning. The project that is currently under development aims to determine the competence design for undergraduate students. It is highly important in a constant learning context.

This group has published a notable and long repertoire of articles in JCR magazines (European Journal of Psychology of Education, Revista Española de Pedagogía, Educación XX1, Anales de Psicología, Cultura y Educación, Bordón, Estudios sobre Educación, etc.) with national and international impact. They have also published several chapters in books and a book.  The last one addresses Learning-based Education and Competences Design at university.