An Approach to Students’ Perceptions of the Assessment of Their Learning: A Shared Study

Abstract

This article analyzes university students’ perceptions of the assessment of their learning. It first presents a theoretical synthesis organized around six dimensions: what assessment is, what should be assessed, how and when it should be conducted, who assesses and for whom, and its purposes. From this perspective, assessment is understood as a systematic and value-based process aimed at decision-making, integrated into teaching, formative, democratic, participatory, and oriented toward improving learning. The article also questions the reduction of assessment to grading and examinations. It then reports the results of research conducted with students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Santiago de Compostela and an exploratory study involving students of Education Sciences and Health Education at the National University of Jujuy. In both contexts, students perceive assessment as mainly focused on grading, control, and decisions about promotion through final examinations. They also report limited participation, unclear assessment criteria, an emphasis on results, and little consideration of learning processes, effort, attitudes, and study conditions. Although some differences appear between the degree programs examined, the findings suggest a considerable gap between theoretical principles of educational assessment and the university assessment practices perceived by students.