Abstract:

The ongoing assesment of the learning process is one of the main priorities of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The theoretical and practical tests are the most common methodologies employed for this evaluation. Tests must be designed taking into account the subject contents and the required time to complete them. Tests extension will be limited by the quantity of time available for their performance. This amount of time is a key factor which is not usually analyzed in detail. A short amount of time may induce stress into students. This stress may decrease their response capacity. Stressed students will not reflect actual knowledge in the evaluation tests. Therefore, the adequate test duration is crucial to ensure accurate ongoing assessment.

Thus, it is proposed to apply a new real-time analysis methodology to problems resolution in mechanical engineering subjects at Defense University Center (University of Vigo). Students Response Systems (SRS) were used to measure both problems resolution time and level of understanding. The immediate feedback information may be stored in databases in order to generate individual students reports. Time needed to finish a final exam was calculated using individual students lead-time under no time limits. Results are analyzed and discussed, evaluating correlations between lead-time and obtained marks.

Keywords:

SRS, lead-time, exams.