Nationwide Analysis of Higher Education Assessment Practices: Some Good and Bad News

• In Event: 66.069 - Faculty and Assessment: Inside and Outside the Classroom

Abstract

A content-analysis of 1,735 syllabi randomly selected from a nationwide database including all Spanish public universities and degree was performed. Our data show that teachers use two or three assessment evidences, final exam is the most used with a weight of almost 60% of the grade, followed by practical exercises and partial exams. Cluster analyses show that the most common assessment profile is labelled as ‘traditional’, based mostly on the final exam. Additionally, academic divisions show different assessment profiles. It was found that self- and peer-assessment and self- and peer-grading, are barely present. Assessment practices remain practically unchanged from first to fourth-year courses and most of the variance can be explained at the faculty/Academic division level.

Authors

• Ernesto Panadero, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

• Juan Fraile, Fundación Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

• Javier Fernández-Ruiz, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid

• David Castilla, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid

• Miguel Ruiz, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid