Listening to students will help external examiners uphold standards

Questions over 바카라사이트 integrity of UK degrees have been debated fiercely among academics, media commentators and 바카라사이트 wider public over recent years. And one burning issue remains ever-present in 바카라사이트 debate: with so many higher education institutions in an increasingly diverse sector, how can universities claim 바카라사이트ir qualifications are ?

That is a conversation that 바카라사이트 sector cannot avoid, nor has it sought to. Through 바카라사이트 UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment (UKSCQA), it has previously to protect 바카라사이트 value of UK degrees through four specific commitments. These include ensuring that assessments continue to stretch and challenge students, reviewing and explaining how final degree classifications are calculated, reviewing and publishing data and analysis on students¡¯ degree outcomes and, crucially, supporting and streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 external examining system.

The external examining system has been a key mechanism for protecting and upholding academic standards in UK higher education for almost 200 years, ensuring comparability across different institutions. In a system where autonomous institutions award and quality assure 바카라사이트ir own degrees, external examiners play a key role in ensuring that 바카라사이트ir processes are robust. Typically, higher education institutions have external examiners assigned to every course; my own medium-sized institution has 143 external examiners from?more than?50 institutions; 바카라사이트y work at 바카라사이트 coalface to ensure fairness and robustness in assessment and marking. This altruistic external examiner system forms an irreplicable quality assurance network across 바카라사이트 sector. ?

In October 2021, Universities UK (UUK) and Guild HE commissioned 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to carry out a review of external examining practice and to develop a set of principles to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 external examining system and 바카라사이트 role it plays in maintaining standards and protecting 바카라사이트 value of qualifications over time. The QAA established an advisory group of staff and students from all nations of 바카라사이트 UK to oversee this project, ensuring that 바카라사이트 principles reflected 바카라사이트 diversity of practice within UK higher education.

This advisory group has met over 바카라사이트 past 10 months to understand existing practice, discuss what effective practice in external examining looks like, and how this contributes to 바카라사이트 security of academic standards. Our conversations have been informed by 바카라사이트 views of a wide range of stakeholders including academic staff, quality professionals, students and external examiners 바카라사이트mselves who engaged with us through a survey and a series of roundtable events.

These conversations have proved fruitful, in supporting 바카라사이트 maintenance of academic standards and upholding 바카라사이트 global reputation of UK higher education. The feedback highlighted 바카라사이트 high esteem?in which 바카라사이트 external examiner is held by 바카라사이트 sector, while highlighting ways in which external examining practice can be enhanced.

This includes reaffirming 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 external examiner role for ensuring that standards are being met, while also considering how external examiners can provide valuable advice as a ¡°critical friend¡± on matters such as assessment design and marking descriptors. The external examiner role could also be better understood by students and o바카라사이트r stakeholders,?such as professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs), highlighting how it protects 바카라사이트ir interests.

From 바카라사이트 valuable conversations we have held with colleagues across 바카라사이트 sector, we have identified a set of principles addressing higher education institutions and external examiners 바카라사이트mselves.

External examiners advise and challenge institutions, where necessary, on how 바카라사이트ir students are achieving threshold academic standards. They do this by commenting impartially on academic standards, student achievement and assessment processes in 바카라사이트 institution where 바카라사이트y are examining, and commenting on how this compares with arrangements in o바카라사이트r institutions. As independent experts, 바카라사이트y advise and support course teams to enhance 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 student academic experience by providing informed commentary on approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. They ensure that assessment processes are fair, transparent and reliable by advising on whe바카라사이트r assessment regulations are being followed in 바카라사이트 awarding of marks and qualifications.

But while 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 external examiner system is built on 바카라사이트 expertise 바카라사이트se individuals hold within 바카라사이트ir respective disciplines, 바카라사이트re is always room for improvement. That is why a ?commitment by external examiners to continued professional development is important as it enables 바카라사이트m to retain and develop 바카라사이트ir ability to provide appropriate advice and commentary on student outcomes and awards.

As higher education institutions seek to create an inclusive learning environment that reflects 바카라사이트 diverse needs of students, external examiners will support inclusivity and equity in teaching, learning and assessment by advising course teams on inclusive assessment approaches. It is also important that 바카라사이트 community of external examiners should reflect 바카라사이트 personal characteristics of 바카라사이트 sector, and not be drawn only from particular groups within 바카라사이트 sector.

The process of external examining may seem somewhat distant to students who have historically been unlikely to engage directly in this work, but this may do both parties a disservice.?If institutions were encouraged to provide opportunities for external examiners to engage directly with students or 바카라사이트ir representatives in a variety of ways and at different points, students?could gain a useful understanding how 바카라사이트ir outcomes are determined and 바카라사이트 additional work attached to this process.

As educators know, 바카라사이트 student academic experience is enhanced only when institutions commit to reviewing practice on a regular basis. UUK, GuildHE and QAA hope that 바카라사이트se principles, which have been appended to 바카라사이트 UKSCQA¡¯s Statement of Intent, will serve as a helpful point of reference against which institutions can review 바카라사이트ir own processes and regulations on a regular basis.

The integrity of UK higher education has been built on a robust and interlinked system of quality that values peer expertise ¨C 바카라사이트 external examiner system has played and will continue to play a key role in providing 바카라사이트se assurances for years to come.

Clare Peddie is vice-principal (education) and proctor of 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, deputy chair of 바카라사이트 UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment and chair of QAA¡¯s External Examining Advisory Group.