EVALUATION AND ICT: AGENTS OF CHANGE IN THE UNIVERSITY

One of the main tasks of lecturers consists of evaluating students in the course of a subject taught during a specific period of time. The institution requires a final grade in quantitative format that will be included in the academic record of the students. Beyond this numerical grade, evaluating the progress of students involves designing a series of learning dynamics and activities that entail tracking progress and product achieved; managing a large amount of information; and constant dialogue with students (individually or in groups) about the contents, objectives and competencies of the subject. Therefore, evaluation requires time and good strategies for analysis and communication. Such strategies may involve several evaluation resources; data collection, organization and analysis of information; feedback; dialogue, evaluation of others, self-assessment, etc.

However, lecturers might encounter a series of limitations when developing formative, quantitative and quality assessments with feedback and feedforward. This communication studies how such obstacles might be diminished with the use of technological tools and systems. Within this context, a group of lecturers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona coming from different areas of knowledge, degrees and subjects have gathered together in order to identify and analyse technological tools that can help evaluate university students. This communication also intends to share with the academic community the work developed to date as well as future lines that promote the continuity of this investigation of the potential of Information and communication technology for a process of sustainable and transformative educational evaluation.