Innovative teaching and assessment at the university for quality learning, against early university leaving

The paper ‚Innovative teaching and assessment at the University for quality learning, against early university leaving’ deals with the contribution given by innovative University teaching and learning to the development of transversal competences needed by the students in the contemporary society. I discuss updated teaching ways, and new evaluation forms, included formative assessment for a successful learning of all university students, premise to prevent early university leaving as well. Effective ways for developing and assessing transversal skills like learning to learn (metacognition), critical thinking, entrepreneurship, scientific work, communication and social skills are discussed, keeping in mind that different way of teaching and assessing lead to reach different aims. In the contemporary era new skills are required besides the traditional ones, and students are expected to develope key competences. The purpose of education is not just making a student literate but adds understanding of the world, rationale thinking, awareness of the own decision making process. High goals like independent thinking and wisdom are still crucial tasks of quality education. A problem-solving attitude supports both the learning process itself and an individual’s ability to handle obstacles and change. Social skills are needed e.g. group collaboration, and leadership, including conflict prevention and solution, agility and adaptability. Very important is the development of attitudes and dispositions like intercultural competence, respect for diversity (gender, cultures, religion, age, learning styles etc), cross-national perspektives replacing stereotypes in a multicultural society, a sense of belonging to one's own community, and to the world. In the new paradigm of learning, the role of student is becoming more important. Where in the past repeting learned knowledge was a common task, nowadys accessing, analyzing and selecting information and sources are crucial aims. The use of innovative teaching /learning methods (besides lecturing, seminars), group work, blended learning, ecc., tutoring and peer tutoring, project work, adopting learning opportunities apropriate to the target group support students both to acquiring information, and to think about controversial topics. Learners articulate technical scientific concepts in verbal, written, and graphic forms, use sophisticated technologies, software programs, and multimedia applications; it has the potential also to empower learners. The assessment methods have a major influence on how high educational goals are achieved and the key competences are learned; not always students are aware of what they are expected to perform for the examinations. The weight of assessment extends both to individuals and to education and training systems in general. While summative assessments evaluates student learning outcomes at the end of an instructional unit, and measures the extent to which students have achieved the desired learning outcomes by comparing it against some standard or benchmark, formative evaluation of learning includes any form of classroom interaction that generates information on student learning, which is then used by faculty and students to fine-tune their teaching and learning strategies to ensure students are on track. Formative assessment provides feedback during the instructional process; it encourages students to learn from mistakes and is not linked to grading practice or other forms of judgment. Formative assessment helps to identify areas that may need improvement.