Deep learning through the case method

Environmental Impact Assessment is a subject that aims to sensitize students about the need to study and adequately foresee the consequences that human actions have on the environment. Thus, this subject allows to address the syllabus in an interdisciplinary, complex and dynamic work environment. To success, it is essential that students achieve deep learning, and be able to identify patterns and connections in systems. For that, the subject must be developed as a whole. For this reason, the Case Method is chosen as the learning methodology, by facilitating the relationship with the reality of the selected cases and achieving in the students a greater capacity for analysis, interpretation and use of the concepts worked, enhancing their meaningful learning. Thus, the objective of this research was to verify whether the use of the case method, a methodology focused on learning, improved the learning strategies of students at the University level. For this, we used a pre-test/post-test experimental design using the CEVEAPEU questionnaire. The results showed that students use more and better learning strategies. There are significant differences in the students' learning strategies, in the global score, in the two scales and four out of six subscales: Motivational strategies, Metacognitive strategies, Information search and selection strategies, and Processing and use strategies. The use of the case method as a pedagogical tool allowed students to learn better, both individually and in groups. This methodology required a proactive, constant and cooperative participation of the students, that promote the responsibility in their work development and allows to get closer to their professional future.