Konstantin M. Lapitsky

Background. Teaching a general course of physics in a technical university is aimed at developing a holistic system of knowledge and skills in future engineers. Monitoring the quality of the educational process and checking the assimilation of physical knowledge in students are important components of the educational process. Distance testing as a part of distance education technologies has a significant potential for controlling knowledge in physics and mathematics disciplines, for improving acquired skills and abilities.

Objectives. The purpose of the study is to develop tests for effective and high-quality assessment to check the students' residual knowledge of the physics course and to check their application. The main attention is paid to the description of professional approach to the development of tests for monitoring students' mastery of the basic knowledge of the general physics course after graduation. Approbation of the tests is carried out in order to verify the materials necessary for a complete and systematic control of the level of residual knowledge.

Methods. The experience of developing tests for checking students' residual knowledge in parts of the general physics course is summarized based on a detailed analysis and selecting the necessary material. Testing as a method of knowledge control is used to check knowledge, skills and abilities, to control the characteristics of the process of knowledge assimilation. The effectiveness of the final tests for the second-year students' knowledge level is defined by the methods of comparing and analyzing the obtained data.

Results. An overview of the subject material is given, a structure of tests for assessment of residual knowledge on optics and quantum physics is developed. An analysis of the level of test tasks and options for their implementation at National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” using the intra-university system of distance testing is conducted. More than 500 second-year second-year bachelor's students studying in different specialties have been tested. It is shown that the created tests allow to determine the level of knowledge of basic physical definitions, phenomena, laws and can be used to monitor the formation of physical knowledge of technical university students.

Conclusions. The general structure of the resulting tests for checking residual knowledge in the physics course and variants of test tasks of different levels are discussed. The study lead to the conclusion on the effectiveness of using the selected testing material based on the testing results and computerized form of testing with automated assessment of knowledge. The obtained data on the level of learning material assimilation can be used in the development of test tasks for the general physics course in technical universities.