Design, analysis and implementation of electronic test for knowledge evaluation in the course of Information Technologies for pharmaceutical students

TL;DR

This paper presents the development and analysis of a hybrid electronic testing system for pharmaceutical students, comparing paper-based and web-based exams to improve knowledge evaluation in an educational context.

Contribution

It introduces a methodological approach for hybrid testing combining traditional and electronic assessments in pharmaceutical education.

Findings

Parallel test results analyzed for quality enhancement

Students' feedback collected via anonymous poll

Comparison of paper-based and web-based testing effectiveness

Abstract

The increased usage of the information technologies in everyday life and especially in education leads to demands for new forms of teaching, studying and appropriate examination and evaluation of acquired knowledge and skills of the students. Modern electronic educational systems use only those technologies that improve the learning process and make it more effective. The interactive education provides an opportunity to develop skills for independent literature research and activation of the cognitive activity. In this work, it is shown how a modern electronic education is implemented in the curriculum of English language pharmaceutical students at the Medical University - Plovdiv in the course of Information Technologies. It is developed a methodological approach of a hybrid system, i.e. a compulsory attendance at lectures in combination with two different types of conduction of the final test for comparison - a paper-based test and a remote web-based one. The results received from the parallel tests are processed and analysed and the conclusions are used to enhance the quality of the developed test and the type of implementation. Moreover, the examined students fill in an anonymous poll to show the authors their thoughts for this type of hybrid educational system.