Abstract-The aim of this research was to promote the development of cooperative learning in university academic programs through the application of the role-play techniques, which contribute to the formation of cooperative behaviours. A model that specifies the actions done, based on in a preexperimental design was implemented that disposed of a pre-test and post-test to evaluate the impact of the technique. Based on a case study focused on the Systems Engineering program at the University of La Guajira -Colombia, it was obtained as the result the appropriation of significant learning related to software development methodologies in 20 students of the Software Engineering II course. The application of the technique allowed the knowledge appropriation of each role assigned within of a software development project through SCRUM methodology.Keyword -Cooperative learning, meaningful learning, role-play, software development methodologies, academic program.
I. INTRODUCTIONHigher education is considered a mean to promote the development and consolidation of the countries. There are many ways in which Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) can contribute to particular environments within their contexts [1]. Thus, awareness of the changes that are triggered by aspects such as technology, science and innovation developments, becomes of high importance for these organizations. The above with the purpose of encouraging students to develop abilities which allow them to confront all kinds of situations [2].The teaching approach represents one of the fundamental aspects of fulfilling such objective, as it makes it possible for the students to learn by involving their previous knowledge and motivations as a function of their own personal and professional projects [3]. This approach appeals to the interest and enthusiasm of the students, which depends on factors including content, presentation and instructor-student relation. These, in turn, are influenced by time, the number of students and the instructor's abilities [4]. However, teaching methods and techniques are often based on traditional education systems where students receive knowledge as al unalterable, unquestionable truth [5]. This situation leads to the standardization of knowledge transmission and reception in a limited way which does not cover personal meanings and transform potential components into secondary ones [6].The above, along with new scenarios that are constantly faced by Higher Educational Institutions, has led to the search of new teaching and learning perspectives where the student could construct his own knowledge. This phenomenon contributed to the emergence of new approaches associated with relations, attitudes and solidary values such as cooperative learning, which seeks to impulse adaptation to the work and social environment of the student by emphasizing group work [7]. Some of the purposes of this approach are: to encourage the active participation of the student in the learning process; to increase learning via student-student interaction, to ...