Student assessment Research findings Zadar – Tempus project Reform of Croatian legal education

Research methodology Ana Barić, LL.B. (in spe)

basic framework questionnaire with 80 questions 17 exams with written and oral part of the exam 12 oral exams 10 students conducting research 76 professors included in the research exam terms in January and February around 300 student working hours altogether

Provisional and incomplete results arising from the questionnaire Prof. Dr. Alan Uzelac

Elements of the research Methods – analysis of the annual statistics ( exams) – analysis of one exam term (February) (3.760 applications, exams) Parts of evaluation –preparation for exams –applications for examination –techniques of examination oral/written –applied methods of examination –publicity –results

COMPULSORY SUBJECTS ELECTIVE SUBJECTS Roman private law ** Legal psychology ** General history of law and state ## International maritime law ## Croatian legal history in European context ** English I ** General theory of law and state ** English II ** Sociology ** German I ## Political economy ** German II ## Economic policy ** Family law ** Criminal procedure ** Criminal law ** Statistics and information science ** Civil procedure ** Civil law ## International law ## Financial law and financial science ** Administrative science ** Labour law and social security ## Commercial law ## Private international law ** Administrative law ** Company law ## Maritime and general transport law## Constitutional law ## 17 ** 12 ##

Preparation for the exams Is teaching useful at all?

Freque ncyPercent Lectures are recommended and facilitate pass 419,0 Lectures are useful but literature is more important 1781,0 Lectures aren’t useful, it is better to learn from the literature 00,0 Lectures don’t take place 00,0 Total 21100,0 Frequen cy Perce nt Seminars are recommended and greatly facilitate success in exams 942,9 Seminars are useful but literature is more important 1047,6 Seminars aren’t useful, it is better to learn from the literature 14,8 Seminars don’t take place14,8 Total21100,0

Seminarists’ privileges?

Techniques of examination Writing v. Orality

Methods of written tests Written test: 17 courses (v. 12) Anonymous: none (at the term) Multi-part (test and essay): 5 (yes) v. 12 (no) Quitting without fall: 5 (no) v. 12 (yes) Types of written tests: –multiple choice (28); –filling-in the form (22); –essays (10) –longer questions (7) –shorter questions (20)

Methods of oral examination

How do students take oral examination? Freque ncy Perce nt One student alone in the room 79,7 One student, others listen 4562,5 Oscillating between students who take exam 2027,8 TOTAL 72100,0

Relation of written and oral part Common elements –pass at written part necessary for taking of the oral examination minor exceptions –(new) statutory option for examination boards –borderline cases The meaning of pass at written exam? –possible options only ticket to oral part correction of grading great influence on grading automatic pass –with the grade from the written part –with only the passing grade –differences even within the same course

Publicity of exams

Announcing the written test results

Publicity of oral examination generally, exams are made in public –first layer: students who take the exam group exams – 7 (individual); 65 (other students who take the exam present) –second layer: other interested students 5 reported cases of no public at the oral examination reasons stated: –request of the teacher (1) –request of the student (1) –other (alleged lack of space) - 3

Results

First to last year of study – average success

Comparison: annual and monthly statistics Compatibility grades during the year to the grades on this term

Grades: percentage of success

Success/methods Grades regarding if the exam is only oral or written and oral

Success in individual courses

Reliability of comparison – negative grades

Success in individual courses

Diploma (final exam) – success story

Number of defended final papers

Diploma (final exam) – success story The final paper was defended before… Frequenc yPercent 3 teachers, continously 1052,6 Mainly 3, sometimes ,1 Rarely 3, more often 1 or ,3 Total 19100,0

Output: number of graduated students YearInscr.Grad. 91/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / TOTAL

Final Questions for not so Final Solution Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Sikirić

Open questions ??????????? Teaching (lectures, seminars) / Exams Number of exam terms per year, plan of terms –Avoiding overlapping of terms Distribution of exams into subsections Techniques of examination – writing v. orality Written exams – Standards – unanimity v. diversity –Anonymity –Structure – questions, case analysis, essays –Evaluation – grading, selectiveness –Duration Oral exams –Ensuring objectivity? –Publicity Diploma exam –Writing standards –Evaluation

Thank you for your attention!