Abstract
This article is an excerpt from a doctoral thesis on learning assessment in undergraduate public health programs. The study presents and analyzes related concepts and intentions from the point of view of the teachers. This qualitative research is based on the assumptions of the Historical-Cultural Theory. Data was gathered from interviews with the teaching staff. Reports reveal different beliefs on assessment. While some see it as an instrument of control to force students to study, others see it as an essential strategy to improve the quality of education and training. Assessment is viewed as a way to punish those who, for one reason or another, failed to fulfill the teacher’s expectations. Assessment is also described as necessary for the planning and guidance of teaching, as well as for educational management and institutional development. However, to date, it is not an adequate tool to diagnose deficiencies in teaching and their implications for learning. Therefore, the appropriateness of assessment as practiced, to check whether or not learning has taken place, comes under scrutiny. It is suggested that insufficient training in this area is the reason why assessment is poorly understood. Moreover, there are no objective working conditions which can provide learning specific to this area of expertise.
Keywords
Learning assessment; Public Health; Higher education