Biology undergraduate students’ views of assessment: Methods, purposes and effects

Abstract

This paper draws on data from research focusing on assessment methods, its purposes and effects, effectiveness and fairness, as well as student participation and feedback. In total, 124 biology undergraduate students participated in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus groups. Findings reveal written testing as the most used method. Students associate assessment mainly with a summative purpose. Although students report they negotiate some assessment-related aspects with teachers, in general they do not participate in self and peer assessment. Feedback is clearly recognized as an important feature in the assessment process. Implications of the findings are discussed.