EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HANDS-ON LEARNING IN COLLEGE EDUCATION IN MANAGEMENT COURSES

Abstract

Hands-on learning, a methodology that allows the student to experience the contents taught by the teacher in a practical way, has been used in Brazil for some time with high school and elementary school students, as a way to make students experience, in real environments, the content, previously taught, only in theory.

Currently, Hands-on Learning is considered an active methodology, and, time to time, has been used in universities. Areas that are more sensitive to the need for professional practices during learning, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Psychology, Engineering and Pedagogy, among others, already include content to be developed in a practical way in the curriculum of disciplines.

However, only a few courses in management areas have been used practical classes as most of the content is taught theoretically through traditional methods, such as books, handouts, websites and theoretical classes, where the student understands the concept , but does not have the opportunity to understand how it works in practice.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of hands-on learning in higher education courses in the management area, specifically in a education institution in the city of Guarulhos, state of São Paulo, Brazil, where the authors taught content related to the areas of Marketing and Commercial Management through two methods for the same students: two theoretical disciplines in the traditional, theoretical methodology, and another one through practical activities.