Abstract:

The European Higher Education Area implies a substantial change in the way of understanding the teaching-learning process [1]. In this new context, students are supposed to get used to work in an autonomous way and lecturers are encouraged to implement educational methodologies based on the term “blended learning” that combines face-to-face classroom instruction with online asynchronous learning [2].
Moodle-based e-questionnaires are presented as an alternative compelling tool to usual written exams for academic assessment. However exams are a necessary “evil” of higher education study which cannot be completely avoided. Therefore, novel tools to assist students on how to face them are keys to success.
Herein we present Moodle Questionnaires [3] as a training tool for the preparation of written (partial or final) exams in a course of General Chemistry. Moreover, we evaluate the role of Moodle Questionnaires as an active asynchronous methodology in promoting students self-learning.
This communication presents the results of an educational project of blended learning suitable for the subject General Chemistry in the Chemistry (or science related) Bachelor degrees. It is a part of a larger project, the so-called Campus Extens Project, an integrated semipresential educational project at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). Campus Extens uses the Moodle platform for the management of on-line educational process.
This educational project has been applied to a course of General Chemistry within the first year of the Chemistry Degree at the UIB. It involves the generation of a pool of questions and answers in the format of multiple options with at least one correct answer. Then, the questionnaires are posted in Moodle and opened for answer within a pre-established timeframe before the written exam and a total time of 1 hour from the kick-off. After the pre-established period the marks and correct answers are delivered to students. No immediate answer is to be popped up within Moodle to prevent potential fraud.
In summary, the teachers participating in this project consider that there is an initial management time to be invested for preparation of online Questionnaires so as to make them fully functional, but yields on a long term pedagogical benefits to students enhancing their skills prior to a written exam.

References:
[1] http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/ (last accessed date March 27, 2012)
[2] C.D. Dziuban, J.L. Hartmand and P.D. Moskal. “Blended learning”- EDUCASE. Research Bulletin. Volume 2004. Issue 7. March 30, 2004. pp: 1-12.
[3] http://www.docs.moodle.org/22/en/Quiz_module (last accessed date March 27, 2012).

Keywords:

Higher education, blended learning, general chemistry, Moodle, e-Questionnaires.