NEW FORMS OF ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

The fundamental purpose of assessment is academic performance. And it has always been known for being focused on results rather than processes. The evaluation of students is the issue that most concerns the students: how it is done, if it must be memorized or reasoned...in short, how the teacher wants to be shown that the student has learned. This concern leads us to investigate new methods of assessment to achieve new aspects. Assessment methods such as non‐conventional exams, oral presentations, group projects and peer assessment are increasingly being used in Higher Education to provide broader and more reliable indicators of students’ achievements. The impact of such assessment on student learning is being carried out by our Department of Toxicology at the Complutense University in Madrid.

A number of positive effects on learning have been identified and students support these new methods of assessment. The assessment paradigm is the continuous assessment, ie that we must analyze what a student knows. This objective can be achieved by a compilation of all the work done by the student and their assessments in several tests. We present new techniques that can be used in objective tests:
• Multimedia Techniques: using tests developed and animated with Macromedia Flash.
• Web: tool for teachers to create dynamics websites that create and edit tests.
• Continuous assessment: daily classroom assessment by tests of understanding.

In addition we add on these assessments one final test when the Toxicology subject is over. On the contrary, we present a methodology that aims to include objective tests in the continuous assessment which is useful as an educational daily support for the student. New technologies allow the creation and resolution of tests by Internet (Moodle).