Are we assessing correctly our students? Spain versus Finland

Abstract

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to analyse the comparison of coursework and final examination between Finland and Spain to test if there are differences in assessment ethodologies; second, to study whether there are different factors (such as gender, age, subject, students’ motivation, and preferences) that have an impact on the assessment of students from the two countries. The final grades obtained by 117 freshmen enrolled on the Statistics and/or Financial Accounting subjects in Business Administration Degree are analyzed. The most interesting results are that the coursework mark is higher than the final examination in both subjects in both Universities, except for male students enrolled in statistics. Also variables such as gender, type of subject and students´preferences have an impact on academic outcomes.