DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/1813-4718.2605.15
UDC: 
378.14
Kataeva Natalia N.
Кандидат химических наук, Assoc. Prof. of the Department of General Chemistry, Ural State Medical University, kataeva.nn@mail.ru,, Yekaterinburg
Naronova Natalia A.
Кандидат педагогических наук, Assoc. Prof. of the Department of General Chemistry, Ural State Medical University, edinstvennaya@inbox.ru, Yekaterinburg
Medvedeva Olga M.
Кандидат химических наук, Assoc. Prof. of the Department of General Chemistry, Ural State Medical University, docentmedvedeva@yandex.ru, Yekaterinburg
Golitsyna Kristina O.
Assist. Prof. of the Department of General Chemistry, Ural State Medical University, crianlen@gmail.com, Yekaterinburg
Belokonova Nadezhda A.
Доктор технических наук, Assoc. Prof., Head of the Department of General Chemistry, Ural State Medical University, belokonova@usma.ru, Yekaterinburg
Shkinder Natalia L.
Кандидат биологических наук, Assoc. Prof., Head of the Educational and Methodological Department, Ural State Medical University, umu@usma.ru, Yekaterinburg

Educational Tests as a Tool for Independent Work of International Students

Abstract: 
Introduction. In modern pedagogy, testing technologies are considered an effective tool for supporting students’ independent learning. The theoretical basis of the study is formed by the concepts of formative assessment and the testing effect, according to which the process of actively retrieving information strengthens knowledge more effectively than passive reading. In this context, a training test is viewed not as a measuring tool, but as a didactic navigator, providing step-by-step error correction through comprehensive feedback and hyperlinks to educational materials. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of implemented training tests on the level of assimilation of theoretical material. Methodology and Methods. This paper presents the experience of using training tests in chemistry using a case study of international students from the Ural State Medical University with late arrivals. The study included testing students to assess initial and final results, followed by statistical processing and interpretation of the empirical data. Results. During the analysis of the results of both the training and final tests, the number of attempts required for students to complete the test to a score of 60% or more was calculated. Statistically, it has been proven that the greater the number of attempts on the training test, the fewer attempts on the final test, and vice versa. To assess the impact of training tests on the level of theoretical material comprehension, the ratio of correct answers to basic-level and advanced-level questions on the final test was determined. For all students, the percentage of correct answers to basic-level questions exceeded the percentage of correct answers to advanced-level questions by an average of 2.32 times. Successful completion of the final test using basic questions indicates a reproductive level of material comprehension. Additional analysis revealed a differentiation in independent study strategies: students with an above-average number of attempts (>30) demonstrated a 5.8% higher final score and were 1.5 times less likely to need to retake the final test, confirming the reduction in cognitive load during the control stage due to intensive preliminary training. It was found that the effectiveness of learning tests for international students is mediated by adaptation factors: the highest number of attempts (7.1) was required for the first topic of the course, which is explained by the stress of a late arrival, while the lowest number (3.9) was required for topics studied after entering the work mode, indicating a cumulative effect of the method. Conclusion. Although a high level of learning was not achieved, the implementation of learning tests is a positive experience. This methodological approach enabled 93% of students to master the theoretical material and successfully pass the final test in the Chemistry course. The obtained results allow us to recommend the system of learning tests with multiple attempts as an effective tool for organizing independent work for international students under conditions of limited classroom time, and also to identify areas for further improvement of assignments to transition from a reproductive to a productive level of learning.
Keywords: 
foreign students; educational tests; independent work; chemistry training; medical university
References: 

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