Assessment practices in Higher Education: a study with Portuguese students and teachers
Author(s):
Diana Pereira (presenting / submitting) Maria Assunção Flores (presenting)
Conference:
ECER 2015
Format:
Paper

Session Information

22 SES 07 A, Assessment Practices

Paper Session

Time:
2015-09-09
17:15-18:45
Room:
393. [Main]
Chair:
Tamás Kozma

Contribution

European Universities have changed in regard to curricula and programmes due to the implementation of the Bologna Process. These changes brought about implications for teaching, learning and assessment processes. The aim of this paper is to look at the ways in which Portuguese university students and teachers look at assessment in higher education and in particular about changes in assessment methods after the implementation of Bologna process. Earlier literature suggests that assessment and learning are interconnected (Scouller 1998) influencing the student learning (Gibbs 1999; Scouller 1998). The way students learn depend on how they think they will be assessed. Assessment influences, either negatively or positively, student learning and may be seen as an incentive for study and for improved performance (Biggs 2003; Brown, Bull and Pendlebury 1997; Boud and Falchikov 2007). Consequently, the assessment practices used by university teachers have an important role in the quality of learning (Fernandes, Flores, and Lima 2012; Flores et al. 2014), and need to be creative including a variety of methods (Wen and Tsai 2006; Brown, Race and Rust 2004). Existing literature also reveals that assessment methods, other than traditional ones, enable more effective learning (Struyven, Dochy and Janssens 2005; Birenbaum and Feldman 1998). These methods encourage the development of autonomy, sense of responsibility, and reflection (Sambell and McDoweel 1998). Also, the approaches to learning may be influenced by the used assessment methods (Marton and Saljo 1997). The assessment methods based on a learner-centred approach (Webber 2012) enhance the development of the skills needed for real life, because the purpose of assessment is to ensure that the success criteria of education and training process are the same as used in practice (Segers and Dochy  2001). In addition, the formative role of assessment is important to improve learning, because it provides students with feedback during their process of learning (Brown, Bull and Pendlebury 1997) making it possible for both students and teachers to get to know how learning is proceeding (Biggs 2003).

 

Method

This paper draws upon a wider piece of research within the context a PhD in Educational Sciences, with a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology - (SFRH/BD/76175/2011). The participants in this study are university teachers and university students in five public Portuguese universities. Teachers taught year 3 in the first cycle degree. In total 57 university teachers participated in the study; 53% are male and 47% are female teachers. Their age ranged between 30 and 68 years old. Most of them (58%) are Assistant Professors and the years of teaching experience in HE ranged between 2 and 44 years. Most of them have 29 years of teaching. Out of 57 teachers 32 teach in Social Sciences and Humanities, 10 in Life and Health Sciences, 9 in Natural and Environmental Sciences and 6 in Sciences and Engineering. Students were attending the year 3 of different areas in 5 Portuguese Public Universities. In total 634 students participated in this study; 65% are female and 35% are male. Their age ranged between 20 and 61 years old. Most of them are between 20 and 21 years old. In this study the four scientific fields of research identified at the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology were used: Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), Life and Health Sciences (LHS), Natural and Environmental Sciences (NES) and Sciences and Engineering (ESE). Different programmes were selected in each field: SSH: (Educational Sciences, Basic Education, Economics and Law); LHS: (Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy); NES: (Biology, Geology) and SE: (Mechanical Engineering, Computers Engineering, Biochemistry, Maths). University teachers were invited to participate in a face-to-face interview. Some of them were very busy and preferred to participate by sending their responses via email. The questionnaire was administered to the students in person. Informed consent and confidentiality was respected in the interviews and questionnaires. A research protocol was sent to each university and department as well as to the Dean of each Faculty in order to request permission to conduct the study. Data were collected between October 2012 and June 2013 in 5 Portuguese Public Universities. The interview protocol was validated with teachers teaching in one Public university between March and May 2012

Expected Outcomes

Most of the teachers stated that they changed their assessment practices after the Bologna Process. However, they admit that the written tests are the most recurring method used for assessing students. Practical work in groups and oral presentations were also methods used. In the students’ opinion the test is also the method more used as well as practical work in groups and the oral presentations in classroom. For university teachers, tests are the most effective and fair assessment methods along with group or individual work assignments. In contrast, for the vast majority of the students, tests are not viewed as the assessment method more effective and fair. University teachers claimed that they changed their teaching practices because of the assessment methods they started to use. These changes are mainly related to the need to adapt their teaching practices to the needs and choices of the students. Regarding the influence of assessment practices in the teaching and learning process the students consider that dedicate less hours to study when assessment is done by written tests and exams. They also tend to value more methods such as practical assignments, portfolios or projects which they see as more valuable in terms of their learning and motivation. These and other topics will be discussed further in the paper.

References

Biggs, J. 2003. Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham: SHRE and Open University Press. Birenbaum, M., and R. A. Feldman. 1998. Relationships between learning patterns and attitudes towards two assessment formats. Educational Research 40 (1): 90-97. Boud, D., and N. Falchikov. 2007. Rethinking assessment in higher education: learning for the long term. Routledge: New York. Brown, G., J. Bull, and M. Pendlebury. 1997. Assessing student learning in higher education. London: Routledge. Brown, S., P. Race and C. Rust. 2004. Using and experiencing assessment. In Assessment for learning in higher education, ed. P. Knight, 75-85. Birmingham: SEDA. Fernandes, S., M.A. Flores and R.M Lima. 2012. Students’ views of assessment in project-led engineering education: findings from a case study in Portugal. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 37 (2):163-178. Flores, M.A., A.M. Veiga Simão, A. Barros and D. Pereira. 2014. Perceptions of effectiveness, fairness and feedback of assessment methods: a study in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2014.881348. Gibbs, G. 1999. Using assessment strategically to change the way students learn. In Assessment Matters in Higher Education: Choosing and using diverse approaches, eds. S.Brown and A. Glasner, 41-53. Buckingham: SHRE and Open University Press. Marton, F., and R. Saljo. 1997. Approaches to learning. In The experience of learning. Implications for teaching and studying in higher education, eds. F.Marton, D.Hounsell and N. Entwistle, 39-58. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Sambell, K., and L. McDowell. 1998. The values of self and peer assessment to the developing lifelong learner. In Improving Student Learning: Improving Students as Learners, ed. C. Rust, 56-66. Oxford:Oxford Center for Staff and Learning Development. Scouller, K.M. 1998. The influence of assessment method on students’ learning approaches: Multiple choice question examinations versus assignment essay. Higher Education 35 (4):453-472. Segers, M., and F. Dochy. 2001. New assessment forms in problem based learning: the value-added of the students‘ perspective. Studies in Higher Education 26 (3): 327-343. Struyven, K., F. Dochy, and S. Janssens. 2005 Students’ perceptions about evaluation and assessment in higher education: a review. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 30 (4): 331–347. Webber, K. 2012. The Use of Learner-Centered Assessment in US Colleges and Universities. Research in Higher Education 53 (2): 201-228. Wen, M. L., and C.C. Tsai. 2006. University students’ perceptions of and attitudes toward (online) peer assessment. Higher Education 51 (1): 27-44.

Author Information

Diana Pereira (presenting / submitting)
University of Minho
Institute of Education
Braga
University of Minho, Portugal

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