WIP: Unannounced Tests and Examinations to Improve Student Performance and Build Academic Integrity

Human self-evaluation is something that has been part of each one since birth and has allowed everyone to mold and develop our cognitive faculties. Over time, education has evolved in terms of content and ways of teaching students, resulting in a system based on evaluations for which students must prepare, which has generated responses such as stress, anxiety and nervousness. In response to this problem, researchers propose a teaching method where evaluations are not announced, so students must prepare constantly, being supported by activities that will help them prepare for the tests and reinforce their knowledge. These evaluations were applied in two civil engineering and two architecture courses, with a total of 121 students, where at the end of the semester a survey was conducted to observe their reaction and thoughts regarding these new evaluations. It was possible to notice how at first many of the students felt nervous, but reinforcement activities were helpful in understanding the subject and generating greater confidence when taking a test, which resulted in better performance of students, because due to the constant preparation during the semester achieved greater security of knowledge. We also discuss possible factors driving these results and new ways in which institutions could implement these pedagogical strategies to achieve academic integrity.