Online testing as a mechanism for assessing students' knowledge (on the example of an examination test in biochemistry among students of natural sciences)

Abstract

The article discusses the problem of introducing testing as the most popular and widespread method of monitoring students' knowledge within the framework of distance education, to which students and teachers of Russian universities were forced to transfer during the spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19. From the point of view of the authors, the transition to distance learning has revealed many significant problems of the trend towards digitalization of the educational process. In the course of the research, it was found that knowledge control methods widely used in digital learning cannot be effectively applied in the learning and control process for some specialties. The authors highlight the features, problems and imperfections of the testing system faced by students and teachers. The authors argue that for such areas in the education system as medicine, biology, biochemistry, where the practical component of the acquired knowledge plays a huge role, the testing system cannot serve as an effective tool for testing the acquired knowledge.