Laboratory assessment in chemistry

An analysis of the adequacy of the assessment process

Bibliographic Data

ID19379986
AuthorsAnna Prades (AQU Catalunya), Anna Prades Nebot (0000-0002-0103-4435, AQU Catalunya, corresponding author), Sebastían Rodríguez Espinar (University of Barcelona and AQU Catalunya)
Year2010
Volume35
Issue4
Pages449-461
Publication date2010-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAssessment & Evaluation in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0260-2938 • E-ISSN: 1469-297X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02602930902862867
OpenAlexW2073279697
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited12

The requirement that universities prepare students in practical competences, and assess the extent to which pre‐established objectives are achieved, is generally accepted to be of growing importance. As a result, on one hand, there is an increasing volume of research related to task performance in assessment. On the other hand, there are comparatively few studies which analyse the assessment process in a laboratory context. The laboratory offers itself as an educational and training tool of some importance, both in chemistry and in the experimental sciences in general. Studies which have been carried out to date into the importance of laboratory work as a source of value added have, however, been far from conclusive. This research uses interviews with laboratory teachers to analyse the typology of the competences which enter the assessment process, and to determine the extent to which the laboratory assessment process complies with standard validity requirements. Results obtained show that laboratory assessment in chemistry allows for a valuation of the degree of integration of theory and practice, and of the level of development of professional competence in the laboratory. Current assessment strategies do not, however, include all the competences developed in the laboratory context, nor are they sufficiently reliable to offer accreditation of those that are assessed. Keywords: performance assessmentcompetencieslaboratoryinterviews Notes 1. In the present study, we will use the term 'competence' in preference to other alternatives – such as skills, attributes or capability – since the former term is far more widely used in the Spanish university environment. We understand 'competence' as referring to the combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes (to know ..., to know how to ..., to know how to be ...), which are needed in order to carry out a given task effectively in both familiar and unfamiliar circumstances. This definition is compatible with most generally accepted interpretations of the term (Allen, Ramaekers, and Van der Velden Citation2003; Kellerman Citation2001; Roe 2002) as well as with the definition of capability offered by Stephenson and Yorke (Citation1998). 2. The research presented in this article was carried out as part of a broader research project which involved the use of focus groups with student participants, as well as questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews involving 22 members of the teaching staff: 15 of whom had responsibility for classroom subjects and seven for laboratory‐based subjects (Prades Citation2005). In order to avoid unnecessarily complicating the analysis, in this article we will only deal with the results obtained from interviews with the laboratory staff. It should however be noted that the results of the questionnaire and the focus groups, which were used in order to triangulate the data, were found to corroborate the results obtained from the interviews. 3. Throughout this article the terms 'validity' and 'reliability' have been preferred to the terms – more normally associated with qualitative research – 'credibility' and 'dependence' since the former are more widely used by researchers in various disciplines involved, even though we understand that in this type of practical assessment (performance‐based assessment) the most interesting approach is the qualitative and not the quantitative one and, in fact, we adopt the criteria of rigour associated with an interpretative or qualitative methodology

Accreditation · Higher education · Medical education · Sociology · Typology · Computer Science · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Problem and Project Based Learning · Psychology · Various Chemistry Research Topics