Perception of learning, assessment procedures and the use of PowerPoint technology in university studies of medicine

Abstract

Purpose: Test whether how professors represent the learning process (understanding-oriented or recall-oriented) is connected to the evaluation procedures and to the use of teaching technology.

Design/methodology: 63 students produced 315 records referred to the compulsory courses belonging to the second year of the Medicine grade. The hypothesis states that those courses that use a multiple choice evaluation procedure and verbose slides will be more recall-oriented than those using other evaluation procedures.

Findings: Results show that courses that are more oriented to recall make a larger use of PowerPoint technology, predominating verbal slides, and students have a poorer academic achievement and a lower self-perception of learning.

Limitations: Further studies should encompass a wider sample of courses, years and grades.

Originality/value: Hitherto no study has considered simultaneously the incidence of learning self-perception, evaluation procedures and the use of PowerPoint technology.