Methods of Student Assessment used by Faculty Members of Basic Medical Sciences in Medical University of Zahedan

Abstract Introduction. Evaluation is one of the important aspects of educational activities. Through Evaluation, we can point out the weaknesses and strengths of educational programs and also we will be able to present an effective solution for solving the problems of educational programs. The purpose of this survey was to study the methodology of student assessment performed by faculty members. Methods. A questionnaire was designed and distributed between the faculty members. The earned data from 51 returned questionnaires was analyzed by SPSS software. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used for analyzing the data. Results. According to the results, 72.5% of the faculty members teaching basic medical sciences used formative evaluation and 27.5% of them used summative evaluation. The most important tests used for student assessment were multiple choice questions and written tests, respectively. The faculty members mainly considered the final exam as their most important criterion. The majority of them (90.2%) used lesson plan during their teaching. About 30% of them carried Ph.D. degree and most of them taught in more than one level. 51% of them performed mid-term exam. There was a significant relationship between the taught educational level and evaluation method. Conclusion. Although the faculty members mainly used formative evaluation, they considered final exam as the most important evaluation criterion. Most of the faculty members were young with little experience. The mean of the number of units they taught in each semester was more than their required number. Reviewing evaluation and teaching methods and considering new methods of evaluation can decrease the present problems in educational programs.