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The paper analyses the role of formative, constructive assessment techniques in higher education taking into account the teaching-learning process in the context of the blended and e-learning environments. It also considers the strong relationship between universities and the competitive job market due to the fact that all the beneficiaries of the education system need to be aware of what skills and competences are built and evaluated in higher education and how assessment is conducted in order to obtain relevant results. In this respect, assessment is viewed both as formative and informative and it is “tailored” for the blended and e-learning environments. The paper also identifies some critical issues as far as assessment in blended and on-line environments is concerned, and provides some possible answers to questions such as: What is considered as “cheating” in assessments conducted in an e-learning/ blended environment? How can employers receive the results of formative and informative assessments? How relevant is this type of assessment if we take into consideration the fierce competition for jobs with good career prospects? The answers to these questions are related to some methods applied in a Business Communication course to assess students’ skills when communicating for business purposes. We have created a simulated enterprise which has been connected to a travel agency and a tour-operator in order to offer students the possibility to face real business situations. All their online tasks have been assessed by their fellow students, by a teacher and by representatives of the business environment in an attempt to complete the circle. The paper presents some of the outcomes of this simulated yet practical experience. |
