Abstract:

Practical lessons are a key element in acquiring important competences in engineering and science studies. Laboratory and computer-assisted lessons provide valuable hands-on knowledge beyond mere theory and put the students closer to professional practice.

However, students not always make the most of practical lessons: they might not review the lab materials in advance slowing the progress of the class, they might not be familiar with basic theoretical knowledge, they might not remember important procedures from previous lessons, etc. To address these issues and enhance learning in successful practical lessons, there are several strategies: smaller groups, curriculum redesign, combination of teaching strategies, etc. Among these, evaluation is a critical element in the learning process since in many cases it guides student efforts. In addition to the traditional evaluation of practical lessons through a final exam or a work report, the obligation for students to carry out an exam before the practical lesson ensures that they have reviewed the basic information needed for the lesson successfully exploiting their academic potential.

In this work a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the effects of the application of online exams to be done before every practical lesson by the students of a Video Engineering subject in an ICT Bachelor of Engineering degree is provided. In particular, the pre-evaluation exams are time-controlled multiple choice tests carried out through an e-learning platform where the practical lesson materials are available. The qualitative analysis includes the effect of the pre-tests on final academic performance, and student class assistance. For the study a control group was included for the sake of comparison. Also a qualitative analysis from both the instructor and students points of view is provided. The work summarizes the results of the study which in general show improved performance through the application of pre-tests and suggest some actions to improve student performance in practical lessons.

Keywords:

e-learning, formative evaluation.