**3. Explanation of the motivation of the authors**

Feedback plays a crucial role in the provision of incessant inducement and motivation for students. A teacher should not only explain new knowledge but also motivate students to continuous preparations. Some students are satisfied with the number of lectures attended which allow them to pass the exams successfully, others would need more time for being dealt with. Such students highly evaluate the presence of e-based learning materials which to a certain extent provide frequent contact with the teaching materials and help them reach the required levels of attainment.

The implementation of ongoing feedback through classical questionnaires could also be realised by using different test-systems, assignments or other applications. Realistic feedback is possible to be achieved by checking a variety of students' assignments, too. The number and quality of assignments received from students renders answers to many questions, which include solutions that enable teachers to understand how well they execute their work. It should also be pointed out that a continuous control of students' work acts as a prerequisite for achieving better results. Selected findings will be later presented here using Moodle in connection with the implementation of feedback.

A teaching experiment was carried out to detect the impact of Moodle utilisation on feedback frequency increase in education during a semester. Full-time students engaged in the field of Database systems and data warehouses were selected for the realisation of the experiment. They were third year students with sufficient experience in the utilisation of IT, and therefore the application of the given system was not a novelty for them. The total number of students, and other participants in the experiment was two hundred. They were divided into six groups. All the results of students' work were continuously evaluated. The obtained results were later compared with the results of the Automated Information System of the university. The results of the experiment are described below.

The author of the experiment tested the hypothesis which assumed that there had been a direct correlation between the number of solutions and the average number of points scored on the test. Contingency tables were generated based on these results, which reflected the relation between the number of solutions and the average number of points scored, and also the dependence of the overall assessment upon the average number and regularity of the assignments faced.

These results indicate the necessity of introducing various forms of feedback between teachers and students. At universities, feedback should occur mainly in the realisation of various tasks, forums, discussions, project implementations, and the like. It is assumed that these assignments must be continuously evaluated and this form of evaluation can act as a stimulus to students' activities. The LMS Moodle seems to be a very appropriate means for the implementation of the abovementioned.

The e-learning application of knowledge management as a tool of assessing students' performance was accomplished at the University of Technology in Kosice (eastern Slovakia).

Advanced Pedagogical Approaches at Slovak Universities 41

Fig. 2. Dependence of the total assessment of students' tests and the regularity of the

It can be used for students' self-assessment to give them feedback about their progress during their studies or (on the other hand) for intermediate or final grading. However, knowledge tests are not developed with adequate care. Unfortunately, they are not designed to reveal the attained level of knowledge. Moreover, testing suites are very seldom reviewed with regard to their validity and items correlation. Experts at the University of Technology in Kosice examined the LMS Moodle with the aim to develop plug-in modules for the

The term "didactic test" is often used in the Slovak and Czech pedagogical communities. It usually denotes the examination process designed for the fair evaluation of the attained level of mastering the given study material. The English speaking communities prefer the

Regardless of the term preferred, this type of examination is considered as a tool for systematically measuring the teaching outcomes. It has been widely accepted that a didactic/achievement test has to be prepared in accordance to specified rules by a team of

However, basic principles are not followed in practice during test design and its implementation. Tests are usually developed ad-hoc, without a clear specification of aims, using only basic sets of question items (true-false, one from many choices, sometimes many from many choices). Moreover, testing items are usually not linked with the appropriate

assignments faced (the number of solved tasks).

implementation of the ideas described below.

term "achievement test."

specialists.

Knowledge assessment has been an inseparable part of current e-learning technologies. Grading is a process, which should answer students' abilities, knowledge, skills etc. In such a way it could be used as important information in the decision making process of external bodies. However, grading is very often required to be relative. It means it does not answer questions about student's knowledge (abilities, skills etc.) but only answers her/his position in a selected (often later unidentified) group of students.

For external bodies (next level educational institutions, employers) it is important to gain assessment of applicant personal abilities, knowledge, skills. In this case relative grading according to selected groups (class, school) is inappropriate. That is why external bodies very often do not take into account the grades acquired at the educational institutions.

Fig. 1. The relationship between the number of solutions and the average number of points scored during a semester (max. 50).

For external bodies (next level educational institutions, employers) it is important to gain assessment of applicant personal abilities, knowledge, skills. In this case relative grading according to selected groups (class, school) is inappropriate. That is why external bodies very often do not take into account the grades acquired at the educational institutions.

Fig. 1. The relationship between the number of solutions and the average number of points

scored during a semester (max. 50).

Knowledge assessment has been an inseparable part of current e-learning technologies. Grading is a process, which should answer students' abilities, knowledge, skills etc. In such a way it could be used as important information in the decision making process of external bodies. However, grading is very often required to be relative. It means it does not answer questions about student's knowledge (abilities, skills etc.) but only answers her/his position

in a selected (often later unidentified) group of students.

Fig. 2. Dependence of the total assessment of students' tests and the regularity of the assignments faced (the number of solved tasks).

It can be used for students' self-assessment to give them feedback about their progress during their studies or (on the other hand) for intermediate or final grading. However, knowledge tests are not developed with adequate care. Unfortunately, they are not designed to reveal the attained level of knowledge. Moreover, testing suites are very seldom reviewed with regard to their validity and items correlation. Experts at the University of Technology in Kosice examined the LMS Moodle with the aim to develop plug-in modules for the implementation of the ideas described below.

The term "didactic test" is often used in the Slovak and Czech pedagogical communities. It usually denotes the examination process designed for the fair evaluation of the attained level of mastering the given study material. The English speaking communities prefer the term "achievement test."

Regardless of the term preferred, this type of examination is considered as a tool for systematically measuring the teaching outcomes. It has been widely accepted that a didactic/achievement test has to be prepared in accordance to specified rules by a team of specialists.

However, basic principles are not followed in practice during test design and its implementation. Tests are usually developed ad-hoc, without a clear specification of aims, using only basic sets of question items (true-false, one from many choices, sometimes many from many choices). Moreover, testing items are usually not linked with the appropriate

Advanced Pedagogical Approaches at Slovak Universities 43

Web-based learning is understood as one of the most important innovations in education. Moreover, this form of learning has many benefits, both social and economic, and belongs to the most flexible types of learning, which suits the target groups of all presented projects – learners, current and perspective entrepreneurs, managers and other similar beneficiaries. Moreover, web-based learning is one of the most important possibilities of improving access to continuous vocational training, and lifelong acquisition of the necessary skills and

The web-based learning systems, applied in the projects, consist of separate techniques, such as e-learning, self-learning and regular meetings of self-learning groups of learners – three

Teachers' participation in the preparatory phase of these e-learning and blended learning materials and activities was satisfactory and efficient. On the other hand, teachers were less enthusiastic about the day-to-day online contact with their learners. Even very active and zealous colleagues complained about this new approach in tertiary education. Some of them explained that constant participation in online courses, and/or ex-post educational participation represented a significant burden on their mental and physical well-being. As our present paper suggests, various pros and cons are the real experience outcomes of the presented advanced teaching approaches. The success of any educational change largely depends on how instructors perceive it and what they do to implement change, since it is the instructors who reflect on change, absorb and realise new ideas and improvements. It goes without saying that these approaches will be realised in a broad extent in the near future. The reasons are as follows: (1) very convenient, rational, effective and time saving ways for learners; (2) support for knowledge-based social environment for regions; (3) engagement in "home working" educational activities in a pleasant ambiance; (4) contribution to the lessening of the burden on the environment in general (e.g. "classroom-

This current "pioneer" era requires some inevitable steps to be taken in order to develop and accelerate positive approaches, and to find solutions for diminishing the obstacles within the process. One of the possible ways to eliminate the presence of relevant problems is to involve young teachers in the process, who are much keener on using these innovative

Brokeš, P. (2005). *E-learning – The Most Effective Technique in SME Manager's Distance* 

Genči, J. (2007). *Some Consideration about Knowledge Assessment.* 8th International Conference

Kultan, J. (2010) *Realizácia spätnej väzby v elektronickom vzdelávaní.* In.: Proceeding of

Economics in Bratislave, Slovakia. ISBN 978-80-225-2724-8

*Education.* In.: Proceedings of the Final conference of REDILEM, Bratislava,

Virtual University VU'07. E-ACADEMIA SLOVACA, Bratislava, Slovakia. ISBN

International Conference on Innovation process in e-learning. University of

less" universities, transport-less" commuting/communication, etc.)

means of information and communication technologies.

Slovakia. ISBN 80-89085-37-7

978-80-89316-09-0

**4. Conclusion** 

**5. References** 

competencies of inhabitants in the regions.

main parts of a blended learning approach.

level of taxonomy of cognitive aims (if any taxonomy is chosen at all) and they are usually developed for specific curriculum sets.

As a result, questions are very often targeted to lower levels of taxonomy (knowledge/ remembering and comprehension/understanding) and in such a way they do not evaluate the participants' knowledge.

The next problem directs attention to the processing of testing results. In every test there is some grading approach specified during test preparation, which is applied to the evaluation of the tested items and, finally, to the evaluation of the entire test. It means that there should be some permanent evaluation of the tested items (finding possible ambiguities, revealing correlations between items, etc.).

There are many causes of the above specified problems. One of them is the inadequate support of knowledge assessment test development methodology in the current learning management systems (LMS). Most systems do not support a wide range of question-item types, these systems have no support of taxonomy of learning objectives and test items are required to be linked to specific chapters, not to appropriate composite knowledge.

Nowadays, assessment test are performed by computer systems. Most computer systems are connected to the Internet without any limitations during testing. Due to increasing computer literacy there is a great chance for participants to "steal" testing items and publish them online in a very short period of time. But even in the case of certain restrictions (fire walled computer classes, restrictions to using computer keyboards for closed type only testing suites), students overcome them by using new technological achievements (i.e. they take a photo of computer screen by mobile phone digital cameras to publish items on-line; use mobile phones for on-line consultancy). In such a way students prove their competence in using technological achievements, but their test results do not reflect their knowledge (skills, abilities).

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have evolved to matured systems in the area of course development during the last ten years. However, it is hard to find any methodology applied to LMS with regard to knowledge assessment. Therefore, the recommended fundamental requirements for knowledge assessment modules of learning management systems with regard to the implementation of assessment methodology are as follows: defining the taxonomy of cognitive aims; defining the cognitive structure of curricula in addition to the basic structure of the curriculum; linking each testing item to an appropriate level of taxonomy and an appropriate mode of cognitive curriculum structure; providing a rich set of question-item types, including open items; supporting item and test life-cycle support; supporting the functionality for teamwork development of tests; providing welldeveloped approaches for items and test statistics".

Application of the so called "functional model" can provide an "added" value for knowledge assessment test development. Linking testing items to specific level of cognitive taxonomy may give possibility to a better selection of the corresponding items. It gives the possibility to test the "knowledge" of participants after lectures and prior to seminars. Newly designed tests can be targeted to checking the comprehension (or higher) level. Moreover, different levels can be combined with the different parts of curriculum. This model seems to be suitable for building an adaptive test. We can start from any level and based upon the correctness or incorrectness of participants' answers we can adjust the level of subsequent items presented to the tested persons.
