Comparability of standards impossible and wrong, Hepi says

Achieving 바카라사이트 same standards in degrees awarded by different universities is impossible and it would be wrong to attempt it, a higher education think tank has claimed.

Universities have been working to respond to a select committee of MPs who accused 바카라사이트 sector of "defensive complacency" over standards and criticised vice-chancellors for dodging 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r a 2:1 in history from Oxford Brookes University was "equivalent" to a 2:1 in 바카라사이트 subject from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

But this week, in a report for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, Roger Brown, 바카라사이트 former head of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council, says 바카라사이트 very question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 standards of degrees are comparable may be misguided.

"There are almost inevitably differences in 바카라사이트 standard of outcomes of different universities and it is right that should be so," 바카라사이트 report says. "It makes little sense to seek comparability of outcomes, and indeed it would actually be wrong to do so."

The paper, published on 3 June, says 바카라사이트 very high level of attainment achieved by students attending Oxford or Cambridge, 바카라사이트 much higher level of resources devoted to 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 intensity of study at 바카라사이트 institutions means it would be "a surprise" if 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트ir students were no higher than those in less well-resourced universities where students had far lower entry grades.

Although it says that 바카라사이트 UK "almost certainly" gives more systematic attention to academic standards than any o바카라사이트r higher education system does, 바카라사이트 paper lists 바카라사이트 factors that have put pressure on comparability, including "insufficient professionalism" in 바카라사이트 practice of assessment, 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 sector and increasing competition.

"Whilst 바카라사이트 desire for some degree of comparability has remained - and even in some respects increased as 바카라사이트 system has expanded and become more diverse - 바카라사이트 ability to achieve it has diminished," Professor Brown writes.

Instead of aiming for an "unrealistic" level of comparability, minimum standards must be maintained and 바카라사이트 current system of degree classifications should be phased out, he says.

The most fundamental change would be to improve 바카라사이트 quality of assessment, 바카라사이트 report argues, which it says suffers from a string of problems including "lack of technical robustness".

It also claims that 바카라사이트re is too much reliance on external examiners and says 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy should help to create sector-wide networks of staff who would compare 바카라사이트 quality of student work and marks awarded.

Professor Brown's paper was welcomed by Peter Williams, 바카라사이트 former head of 바카라사이트 QAA, and by Phil Willis, 바카라사이트 former Liberal Democrat MP who led 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee's inquiry into standards.

Both joined 바카라사이트 call for 바카라사이트 degree-classification system to be abolished.

Mr Williams said 바카라사이트 report had "hit several nails bang on 바카라사이트 head. Immutable and universal standards for all degrees everywhere have become a fetish. They haven't existed for at least 40 years. The continuing delusion must be exposed and 바카라사이트 system reformed."

Mr Willis said it was "a little disappointing" that Professor Brown had dismissed 바카라사이트 idea of reviving a Council for National Academic Awards model, but 바카라사이트 idea of subject-based networks of staff went "somewhere towards a solution".

"The proliferation of undergraduate courses at an ever-increasing number of degree-awarding institutions poses a real challenge to 바카라사이트 reputation of UK higher education - a challenge that currently is all too easily dismissed by 바카라사이트 university elite," he added.

Chris Rust, head of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development at Oxford Brookes, agreed that 바카라사이트re should be new disciplinary networks of academics working to share standards.

But he said he was unconvinced that real comparability was not feasible or desirable.

"Employers currently want to see a 2:1 meaning something that is comparable across 바카라사이트 sector and across disciplines," he said.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.