Perceptions and Impacts of a Formative Assessment Proposal in Agricultural Engineering

Abstract

This paper presents part of the results of an evaluative study focused on an innovative pedagogical project addressing the assessment process in a course (hereafter, XX) within the Agricultural Engineering program at the National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), implemented starting in the 2020 academic year. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of the transformation of the summative evaluation model towards a continuous, formative approach centered on the teaching and learning processes. The research, descriptive in nature and based on a mixed quantitative–qualitative approach, was based on surveys administered to students and instructors, as well as the analysis of academic records. The proposal to improve the assessment system emerged in response to the difficulties students faced in developing meaningful learning, which prompted a critical review of teaching practices and, in particular, the assessment system. A Field Integrative Activity (AIC, Actividad Integradora de Campo) was implemented and positively valued for its capacity to promote content integration, critical reflection, motivation, and self-assessment. Furthermore, an increase was observed in the proportion of students who achieved course regularity: 11.10% in 2020, 11.94% in 2021, and 19.14% in 2022, despite the constraints imposed by the pandemic. Based on the research findings, a proposal for further improvements was developed with the aim of deepening the pedagogical innovation process.