Abstract:

This work presents the results of an educational‑innovation project implemented during the 2025–2026 academic year to enhance remote continuous assessment in undergraduate students. The initiative addressed the need for flexible, reliable, and pedagogically coherent evaluation strategies capable of maintaining academic quality during both ordinary teaching periods and emergency scenarios affecting in-person classroom attendance.

The project developed a set of structured digital learning and assessment resources, including short diagnostic tests delivered through randomized online questionnaires at the end of each topic, interactive problem‑solving exercises on sample‑treatment procedures and calibration strategies, time‑controlled analytical problem‑solving tasks, individual one‑page summaries, and small‑group collaborative projects focusing on specific analytical techniques or topics. These materials were deployed through the institutional virtual learning environment to ensure accessibility for more than 120 students across the three Analytical Chemistry (ACI, ACII and ACIII) compulsory subjects of the Chemistry Degree of the University of Valencia. ACI provides students with a solid foundation in chemical equilibria and classical analytical methods like volumetric and gravimetric analysis. ACII builds on this background by introducing spectroscopic and electroanalytical instrumental techniques and calibration approaches. ACIII further extends this training through sample‑preparation strategies, chromatographic techniques, and chemometric data analysis.

The implemented teaching strategies significantly reduced opportunities for academic misconduct through dedicated integrity‑focused activities, randomized question banks, strict time constraints, and identity‑verification mechanisms. Comparative analyses between in-person and remote assessment results showed an acceptable level of consistency, demonstrating that the digital methods could effectively complement or, when necessary, replace traditional assessment formats, obtaining an average variation between −0.38 and +0.91 points out of 10 in the different evaluations between remote and in-person activities. Students reported increased motivation, greater autonomy, and a clearer understanding of their learning progress, while instructors highlighted the benefits of continuous monitoring and immediate feedback from online tools. The initiative enhanced student engagement, strengthened analytical-chemistry competencies, and supported instructional continuity during extraordinary circumstances such as weather-related disruptions or public-health emergencies.

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Educational Innovation Project ‘Remote Strategies for the Continuous Assessment of Courses in the Area of Analytical Chemistry (e‑Valuacion)’ (PIEE- 3898823), funded by the Vice‑Rectorate for Continuing Education, Teaching Transformation, and Employment of the University of Valencia.

Keywords:

Remote continuous assessment, Analytical Chemistry, Digital learning resources, Academic integrity.