Students are expected to enter higher education with a set of learning strategies that will allow them to achieve academic success on their own. In practice, however, a memorization-based learning approach prevails, causing students to struggle with problem-solving, organizing ideas, and planning their studies. Furthermore, instructors continue to rely heavily on lecture-based instruction and passive activities, stifling the development of effective learning strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of learning strategies among health sciences students in relation to the active methodological load imposed by instructors over the course of an academic year. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 184 first-year students from three health science programs. Teacher methodological intervention occurred during the second semester in two of the three programs, and the time of active interaction was measured for all first-year classes during both semesters. The instructors administered the abbreviated ACRA test before and after a methodological intervention, and the data were compared to a control program. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, such as t-Student tests and mixed regression. The findings showed that learning strategies in experimental programs changed significantly as the use of participatory teaching methodologies and activities increased. It is concluded that the use of active and participatory methodologies is associated with an increase in the variety and frequency of learning strategies used.