Abstract

CARRASCO ROMO, Sergio. The Seminary for Orientation to prepare the Entrance Examination to the Autonomous University of Puebla (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, BUAP): A successful instructional design in order to boost the reasoning skills. Perfiles educativos [online]. 2011, vol.33, n.134, pp.52-64. ISSN 0185-2698.

The Autonomous University of Puebla (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, BUAP) uses since 1993 the Academic Competence Test made up by the College Board Porto Rico and Latin America for the enrollment process, and since 1999 the institution organizes the Seminary for Orientation to prepare the Entrance Examination. The purpose of this article is to describe the constitutive parts of this instructional design that incorporates technology in the teaching-learning processes and compares the different people who take this seminary with those who do not. The seminary has as purpose to boost not only the reasoning skills in the verbal domain and in Mathematics, but also the dexterity of a correct phrasing. An academic team develops several teaching materials (printed and audiovisuals), which constitute an indispensable support for the seminary sessions. The students who prepare the Entrance Examination face a pre-test and a post-test, and this allows to observe how their reasoning skills have improved. Between 1999 and 2009, more than 3,000 students have enrolled in the BUAP thanks to the orientation they received in this program.

Keywords : Instructional design; Reasoning skills; Technology and education; Quality of education; Skill development.