National Developments in External Examining

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National Developments in External Examining
John Sloman (Economics Network)
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External Examiningin the UK

• History
• origins

• confirmingstandards
• virtuallyunique to UK
• reviews in1990s
• Central role remained to confirm standards of
  marking and awards

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Battery examinations?
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Changing demands on External Examiners

• More students
• worsening student/staff ratios
• widening participation
• financial pressures on HEIs

• Greater diversity
• of courses and programmes
• between institutions practices
• of assessment

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Survey of nearly 50 departments teaching HLST
(2005)
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(No Transcript)
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Changing demands on External Examiners

• More assessment points
• semesterisation
• Increased referral rights of students
• Modularity
• greater complexity of courses
• standardisation of assessment regulations
• Subject and Award Boards
• Computerised mark profiles
• Restriction on discretion

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Changing demands on External Examiners

• Increased pressures on academic time
• Use of non-academics for vocational/professional
  courses
• Growth in QA mechanisms
• external QAA
• internal
• reporting requirements on external examiners

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The role?
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QAA Code of Practice Precepts

• Purpose of external examining
• to verify standards of assessment
• is marking accurate?
• are standards appropriate for the awards?
• does assessment test learning outcomes?
• is it rigorous and fair?
• to ensure regulations are adhered to
• to ensure comparability with other institutions
• Institutions to provide
• appropriate induction
• the necessary evidence (agreed with external)

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The QAA approach

• External examiners as part of quality assurance
• Institutions must demonstrate effective use of
  external exminers.
• Role of external examiners reports
• TQI and the new reporting framework
• An accurate representation of external examiners
  reports?
• QAA audit report on external examiners

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Pause for Reflection

• What do you want from external examiners?
• You are a lecturer
• You are a Head of Department or Course Leader
• You are a PVC for Learning and Teaching
• Are there any conflicts between these three
  different groups?

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The HE Academy Project

• Research workshops and questionnaires
• What do EEs do?
• How are they supported?
• How can support be improved?
• by receiving institutions
• by supplying institutions
• Support by subject centres
• Support centrally by HE academy

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Views ofExternal Examiners

• What external examiners get out of it
• personal development
• social service
• networking
• status

• Views on induction
• university
• departmental
• Views on rewards

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Views ofExternal Examiners

• The role
• Examining assessed work
• Examining processes
• have regulations been adhered to?
• Comparing standards nationally
• problem of imperfect knowledge
• problem of local specifics
• Are assessments appropriate?
• Programme review

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Indeed, your class attendance does give new
meaning to the term distance learning
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Issues

• Are we making best use of externals?
• Is their prime role to check marking?
• Should externals be involved in the design of
  courses?
• As part of a review team
• As a critical friend
• What should be role of externals in setting
  assessments?

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(No Transcript)
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Issues

• Should they act as advisorson practice?
• Learning/teaching methods
• Teaching programmes
• Assessment structure

• Should they consider
• How to judge and deal with offences (e.g.
  plagiarism)?
• Extenuation?

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Issues

• What rewards should given toexternal examiners?
• What support should be given byreceiving
  institutions?
• Induction (accredited induction courses?)
• Shadowing
• What support should be given bysupplying
  institutions?
• How can supplying institutions draw on
  experiences of their EE staff?