Abstract:

For most students the importance and relevance of learning lies on the significance that the final mark has in its final assessment [1]. However, evaluation should go beyond grading and qualification of efforts, and seek to strengthen the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes of students to, ultimately, help them learn by themselves [2]. Even further, it should be useful for teachers as a tool for ongoing analysis and criticism of the arranged teaching with flexibility to consider modifications to improve the subjects in subsequent years [2, 3]. With the aim of sounding out the progress of students and engaging them critically on their own development, the evaluation should include experiences that allow feedback and progressive correction of found deficiencies.

In this study, the results of the implementation of the feedback correction of lab reports for Laboratory Practices of Mass Balance and Energy Balance, in the first course of Chemical Engineering Degree, in response to various key parameters, are shown. An assessment sheet was designed and shared with students to constantly monitor their progress.

In particular, apart from the questions on content and structure of reports, the students were questioned about their perception on their own baseline, progress and achievement of writing/graphing skills for:
(i) disciplinarily show high lexicon, grammar and spell level resources;
(ii) properly show results in tables and graphs;
(iii) adequately describe experimental results and
(iv) professionally analyze, discuss and argue the science behind the theoretical models that explain the experimental results they obtain at the labs.

With the aim of let the students know their mistakes, they were given a chance to repeat the lab report, considering all the comments and annotations from teachers.

In order to assess the impact of this methodology, two questionnaires were given to the students. A Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) methodology for polls was applied based on Socrative technology, which resulted fairly accessible and motivating for their participation. On the one hand, a student-focused questionnaire was performed at five different times to monitor the perception on their evolution, according to the inputs, feedback received and chances to improve. On the other hand, a final methodology-focused questionnaire asked about their impression of the impact of this feedback assessment methodology on their skills and motivation towards further learning. Results showed promising outcomes for its application in higher courses to perform top-skilled lab reports.

References:
[1] La evaluación de los estudiantes en la Educación Superior (2007). Apuntes de buenas prácticas Servei de Formació Permanent. Universitat de València.
[2] Bain K (2005) El que fan els millors professors universitaris, p 163, Publicacions de la Universitat de València. ISBN 84-370-6339-6
[3] Ribes-Greus, A, coord (2008) Metodologías Activas. Editoras: Mª José Labrador y Mª Angeles Andreu. Servicio de publicaciones UPV, ISBN 978-84-8363-330-4

Keywords:

Assessment, Chemical Engineering, Feedback, Lab Practices, Skills.