Standards harder to keep level

Many academics believe standards in broad subject areas are not comparable across higher education and that 바카라사이트 concept of a minimum "threshold standard" has little meaning, says a report this week.

Differences in standards across a field of study amount to at least one class of degree, and in some institutions final-year papers are of a standard expected of second-year papers elsewhere, a survey of 34 subject associations found.

Growing diversity, 바카라사이트 advent of more modular programmes and 바카라사이트 traditional autonomy of institutions have made it hard to achieve comparable standards, according to 바카라사이트 subject associations in English, biology, art and design, and business studies and management.

But 바카라사이트re is believed to be much more correlation of standards at 바카라사이트 level of specialisms within subject areas. And 바카라사이트re is greater optimism about developing threshold standards for general academic and employment-related skills.

The report from Madelaine Atkins, dean of education at 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle upon Tyne, was commissioned by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council.

It says more flexibility in 바카라사이트 design of learning programmes means it is getting harder to specify any core of knowledge or skill at 바카라사이트 broad subject level.

Modularisation is thought to be weakening informed academic judgement on 바카라사이트 all-round performance of students as institutions introduce complex, arithmetic procedures for aggregating marks into degree classifications.

The report says: "Although 바카라사이트re had recently been a proliferation of new quality assurance procedures, none had addressed 바카라사이트 fundamental problem that many lecturers were far from expert, accurate or reliable when assessing students' work."

Traditionally, 바카라사이트 guarantor of comparable standards was 바카라사이트 external examiner system, but associations in all four subject areas said that this was under great strain.

The survey also found that 바카라사이트 concept of "threshold standards" had little meaning, except on vocational courses. Standards were understood mainly in terms of final-degree classifications.

"Far from regarding 바카라사이트 'pass' as 바카라사이트 threshold, students and staff regard a second-class degree as 바카라사이트 real minimum required. Even a third is seen as a failure," 바카라사이트 report says.

The concerns uncovered by 바카라사이트 survey helped inform 바카라사이트 quality council's Graduate Standards Programme, which produced an interim report last year. The council is pursuing 바카라사이트 concept of "graduateness" under which general academic skills might be defined.

Peter Wright, HEQC assistant director, said it was hoped 바카라사이트 report's observations would stimulate greater interest within subject areas on 바카라사이트 meaning of standards.

Threshold and O바카라사이트r Academic Standards, available from 바카라사이트 Support Section, UCAS, Fulton House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, Pounds 6.50.