Are web self-assessment tools useful for training?

This paper presents the negative experience carried out by using a Web self-assessment tool (WSAT) called AulaWeb, developed by the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain, to train engineers. The main goal in using this tool was to motivate students to improve their learning and results in a computing subject. Over 800 students take this subject every year, and the failure rate is high. Nevertheless, the results achieved were the opposite of what was expected. This paper uncovers the mistakes made and provides important tips for teachers facing a similar problem with a subject or for teachers who would like to use WSATs to improve students' learning. This advice is based on the analysis and comparison of the results achieved over five consecutive academic years, in two of which AulaWeb was used.