Abstract:

The present work is the result of different experiences carried out by the authors in the Telecommunications Higher School at the University of Alcalá in Madrid (Spain) in the use of innovation teaching strategies towards the convergence to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). We focused in the continuous and formative assessment incorporation in graduated-level technical courses as a new paradigm in teaching-learning process.

The work firstly shows the great differences among the first and last years for implication of the students in the University. The students are not used to work with the new paradigm so they do not get involved in the new strategies, although they assimilate the procedures in time. We also present the main drawbacks we found in the application of the new teaching-learning scenario focused to the students, as the credits ECTS directives establish. The aim is to form the knowledge in a participative and collaborative environment where the student is an active part of the process. The main problems stand for two ways: the students are not prepared from the secondary school to the new point of view and the formers are not well prepared. Besides, the resources used to this change are very limited and eventually the evaluation process is seen as summative rather than a real formative one.

Some results from anonymous surveys to the students show the great change that students have experienced in only one year in the university. The orientation of their studies and the participation in new strategies increase in time. The main problem they consider is the great charge of work and the amount of test to be evaluated.

At the end, we address some solutions and possible oriented teaching strategies are presented to overcome the drawbacks found in earlier courses.

Keywords:

Formative assessment, ECTS, Evaluation strategies.