Resumen

GALAVIS, Sowiesky  y  ALVAREZ, Guillermo. The student opinion poll: An information system to evaluate teaching activity by competences. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2010, vol.25, n.3, pp.47-56. ISSN 0798-4065.

The thematic guideline in this case is the following: the competence approach is based on the concept that people learn through their activity within a cultural context. Feedback allows people to be aware of their own performance. Students are observers par excellence of in-the-classroom performance. The EOE programme allows for the feedback process to take place by gathering and communicating to all parties involved the findings of the students about in-the-classroom teaching. This instrument is not, however, intended to be an instrument for evaluating the teaching personnel, as it only reflects reality from the students’ view. In turn, it hopefully is a useful tool so that the different actors in the learning process, through a process of gaining awareness on how their strengths and weaknesses are perceived, can better manage a positive change and, at the same time, count on the necessary support from the Institution. We conclude that the student opinion poll (EOE) has to be considered an information system that samples in a methodical and regular manner the students’ perception of the academic performance that influences their professional training, processes this information, and keeps it in store for users in an easy-to-interpret format, as, for example, historic series expressed through graphics and/or numerical charts. At the same time, this information should be available for particular decision-making processes, i.e. as additional input for the self-evaluations of the teaching personnel, for students when having to decide on their academic workload, and for the institution when reformulating growth and improvement plans.

Palabras clave : Evaluation by competences; Student perception; Opinion poll; Information systems; Improvement of teaching; Participation; Action research.