What’s on the syllabus? An analysis of assessment criteria in first year courses across US and Spanish universities.

Abstract

This study examined differences in the assessment criteria used by the USA and Spanish university instructors to assign course grades. The US sample included two hundred and fifty course syllabi (159 from universities and 91 from 4-year colleges) developed by randomly selected instructors from five academic disciplines (education, math, science, psychology, and English). Spanish data set included 175 syllabi, chosen from the national database from the same five domains. The results revealed that university instructors employed a number of criteria when assigning course grades, with the US instructors relying equally on process and product criteria, and Spanish instructors using a higher proportion of product indicators. We also found that self- and peer assessment were used scarcely between the two countries and that no syllabi employed progress criteria. Theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed along with avenues for further research.