External Examiners and Academic QualityStandards at Middlesex University

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External Examiners and Academic Quality/Standards
at Middlesex University
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• Involvement of external examiners in quality
  assurance
• processes
• Quality monitoring EE reports on in-house and
  collaborative programmes feed into quality/annual
  monitoring reports
• Review - EEs may be consulted by
  programme/subject teams when preparing for
  academic review
• Internal audit audit of EE appointment process
  at 3-yearly intervals

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Function of External Examiners

• To provide independent adjudication on quality
  and
• standards of academic provision and on associated
• procedures by
• approving exam papers and coursework
• approving programme and module changes/proposed
  new modules

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• moderating student work (grades)
• EEs receive a representative sample of student
  work whereby to judge appropriateness of
  standards and of assessment overall. Key student
  work should have been double-marked/moderated
  internally.
• NOTE - EEs are not markers and so do not alter
  marks of individual students nor are EEs
  normally expected to resolve marking disagreement
  between internal markers

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• attending viva examinations (if required)
• attending/contributing to Assessment Boards
• providing written reports by required deadline
  dates
• providing the programme team and the University
  with informed and constructive critical comment
  and feedback on academic provision and assessment
• .

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Key documents
Programme specifications Module
narratives Module level descriptors Grade
criteria and levels
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Programme specifications

• For all taught UG and PG programmes
• Essential item for consideration at programme
  validation and review
• Standard University format and style
• Should be reviewed annually
• Are included in programme handbook

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Key elements

• Educational aims of the programme
• Programme learning outcomes
• Four categories of outcome statements
  (knowledge/understanding, cognitive/practical/grad
  uate skills)
• Teaching, learning and assessment methods

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• Programme structure
• Compulsory and option modules
• progression requirements
• non-compensatable modules
• curriculum map
• relates learning outcomes to modules

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Module narratives

• Module aims
• Learning outcomes
• Two categories of outcomes (knowledge and
  skills)
• Syllabus
• Teaching, learning and assessment strategy
• Assessment weighting
• Learning materials

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Module level descriptors

• See University Regulations, p.61/62
• Generic in nature
• Integrate vocational, academic and professional
  aspects of learning
• Apply to all learning contexts (class work,
  practical, WBL)
• Modules do not need to demonstrate that all
  characteristics of the descriptor are present

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• Attainment at each level reflects certain
  abilities
• Module levels are not always equivalent to year
  of study
• Five levels MU level 0-4

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Grade criteria

• see University Regulations, p. 64
• MU 20 point scale for grading assessments
• Grade criteria describe five main classes of
  student performance
• Each class comprises three grade points
• Borderline grade between each class
• Can be applied to any level of study (see module
  level descriptors)

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Grade levels

• 1-3 best possible
• 4 borderline
• 5-7
• 8 borderline
• 9-11
• 12 borderline
• 13-16
• 17-19 unsatisfactory

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• Appointment of External Examiners
• Ensure all subjects/programmes are covered by an
  external examiner
• Send out letters of appointment
• Payment of Fees and Expenses
• Subject/School Assessment Boards

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• Roles and Responsibilities
• Universitys Learning Quality and Enhancement
  Handbook
• Universitys Regulations
• Letter of Appointment
• Report Cover Sheet Templates

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• Reporting (1/7)
• External Examiners reports are crucial to all
  University systems
• Internal report but also a public document as it
  is widely circulated and used for internal
  reviews, audits and committees and external
  audits and reviews

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• Reporting (2/7)
• Appendix 7b
• The External Examiner is invited to make detailed
  comments on academic standards as well as the
  management and operation of the EE system

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• Reporting (3/7)
• Comments are invited on
• Assessment (standards)
• Was work fairly and consistently marked?
• Was assessment properly moderated?
• Was the feedback to students useful?
• Were students treated in a fair and consistent
• manner?

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• Reporting (4/7)
• Achievement (standards)
• Are the profiles of achievement acceptable or do
  they merit comment? (e.g. within/between modules)
• Are they exceptionally good/uneven/ cause for
  concern?
• Awards (standards)
• Are awards made at the appropriate level and do
  they accurately reflect achievement?
• Is such achievement comparable to that at other
  HEIs

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• Reporting (5/7)
• Administration Conduct (the assessment process)
• Was assessment conducted in accordance with
  relevant regulations? (University and/or PSRBs).
• Was assessment well administered?
• Are there suggestions whereby the procedures
  might be improved?

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• Reporting (6/7)
• External Examiners have an evident concern with
  academic standards quality assurance
• But the University also values
• feedback and suggestions with regard to
  programme optimisation and the student
  experience quality enhancement

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• Reporting (7/ 7)
• External Examiners should submit reports within
  one month of the final assessment board to CLQE
• Templates are circulated annually just before the
  assessment period
• All reports should be sent to CLQE
• Reports not submitted on time are followed up

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• Central Overview
• CLQE writes an External Examiners reports
  overview to Academic Standards and Quality
  Committee each year
• Report highlights generic areas of commendation
  and issues raised by External Examiners for the
  University/Schools/Services to action and
  respond to in their Quality/Annual Monitoring
  Reports or directly to ASQC.

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CENTRE FOR LEARNING AND QUALITY ENHANCEMENT

• Where to find us on the web
• http//www.mdx.ac.uk/aboutus/fpr/clqe/index.asp
• Gloria Turner
• Academic Quality Information Manager
• Tel [phone]
• G.Turner_at_mdx.ac.uk