The assessment of laboratory subjects with different metodologies

Abstract

The assessment of subjects which are only performed in the laboratory is a demanding task that requires the use of different methodologies to achieve a full assessment of the knowledge, aptitudes, abilities and skills carried out by students during the academic year. In this paper, the results obtained applying different kind of assessment methods are discussed. The mentioned assessment methods are: the assessment by periodical reports of the practical laboratory class, through written tests and by means of practical exercises performed in the laboratory. The results show that not only can the assessment of the student’s work take into consideration the reports of the practical classes, but it is also necessary the performance of a test, which can be written or practical in the laboratory. It seems that the results do not significantly differ from doing a written exam or a practical one, but it is considered that, if it is possible (usually when there is no a large number of students), it is better to take into account the results of all the three tests. All these tests provide data about the aptitudes, abilities, knowledge and skills of students, but some of them affect more than others in each of these aspects, hence the reports of the practical classes provide extensive information about the aptitudes and capabilities of the students, the written exam of their knowledge and the practical test of the skills they possess.