Comparing Assessments of Computer-related Courses in Chinese and American Universities Based on Syllabus
Liu Siyuan1,Feng Leilin1,Zhu Zhangqian2,Jia Tao1()
1College of Computer and Information Science College of Software, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China 2Department of Defense Economics, Army Logistical College of PLA, Chongqing 400041, China
[Objective] This paper analyzes the differences of course assessments between Chinese and American universities, aiming to provide empirical support for engineering education reforms. [Methods] First, we retrieved more than 47,000 valid computer science related Chinese and English syllabi through automated data crawling. Then, we extracted the assessment section of these syllabi by keywords. Finally, we compared and analyzed the contents and methods of these assessments quantitatively. [Results] Compared with courses from Chinese universities, American universities assessed their students with more categories and diversified contents. American universities attach great importance to students’ progress, while Chinese universities focus too much on final exams. [Limitations] There is limited number of Chinese syllabi available online. Many syllabi contain much unstructured textual data, therefore, errors might occur while using keywords to examine their contents. [Conclusions] This study provides empirical support for course assessment optimization in China.
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