Mixed strategies for undergraduate Paleontology teaching: an experience report

Introduction and Objective. This paper reports on a teaching and learning experience in Paleontology using mixed pedagogical strategies, experienced by assistant monitors and a teacher of the Fundamentals of Paleontology undergraduate discipline in the Biological Sciences Course of the State University of Campinas, during the second semester of 2022. Methodology. The activities included lectures and active teaching strategies, such as pedagogical workshops, games, educational dynamics, debates on the “Anthropocene”, and field trips. Additionally, the students developed didactic projects that connected theory and practice, using debates as a tool. Results. The combination of lectures and active teaching strategies resulted in greater interest and better understanding of paleon-tological content. The students connected abstract concepts to concrete examples and developed skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and self-regulation. For the assistant monitors, the experience involved planning lessons, preparing teaching material and conducting practical activities, allowing them to develop pedagogical, scientific, and interpersonal skills, thus preparing them for teaching at the higher education level. Conclusion. The teaching activities implemented played a fundamental role in both the teaching and learning process related to the understanding of Paleontology.