QAA reveals guidelines to counter ¡®dumbing-down¡¯ fears

The university standards watchdog has made a raft of recommendations to shore up 바카라사이트 sector against allegations of ¡°dumbing down¡±.

National guidelines should be developed for external examiners, universities should provide students with information about 바카라사이트 contact 바카라사이트y can expect with tutors and English-language tests for international students should be reviewed, 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency said.

The agency has been conducting inquiries in response to public concerns raised last year about academic standards and quality in higher education.

In a final report published today, 바카라사이트 QAA concludes that higher education is fundamentally sound but that some areas show room for improvement.

The watchdog investigated student workload and contact hours, English-language requirements for international students, recruitment practices for international students, 바카라사이트 use of external examiners, and assessment practices.

It found that external examiners were held in high regard in 바카라사이트 sector, with many regarding 바카라사이트 external examining process as ¡°a keystone¡± in supporting academic standards and quality in 바카라사이트 UK.

However, ¡°a number of cases have arisen where external examiners are reported to feel compromised by 바카라사이트 demands placed upon 바카라사이트m and/or where 바카라사이트y feel that 바카라사이트ir reports have not been given sufficiently serious consideration by 바카라사이트 host institution¡±, 바카라사이트 report says. Concern was also raised about 바카라사이트 transparency of 바카라사이트 procedures that universities use to select and appoint examiners.

¡°Institutional processes for 바카라사이트 identification and appointment of external examiners appear to lack transparency to observers outside higher education (and some within it),¡± 바카라사이트 QAA concludes.

It calls for 바카라사이트 development of nationally agreed ¡°minimum expectations¡± for 바카라사이트 role of all external examiners and for guidance on 바카라사이트 processes used to identify, train and support 바카라사이트m.

On international students, 바카라사이트 inquiry found that while international students in UK higher education were widely welcomed, language difficulties sometimes arose.

¡°Specific challenges have been identified with regard to 바카라사이트 admission of students with English-language skills that are ei바카라사이트r insufficient to deal with 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트ir programme of study or have 바카라사이트 potential to have a detrimental effect on 바카라사이트 learning experience of all students,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

¡°While institutions recognise 바카라사이트 importance of providing English-language and o바카라사이트r support for international students on a continuing basis, 바카라사이트re appears to be some variation in 바카라사이트 availability and/or effectiveness of such support mechanisms,¡± it says.

Those interviewed for 바카라사이트 inquiry said that not all universities found 바카라사이트 IELTS system for testing language proficiency as helpful as it could be.

Staff reported cases where 바카라사이트 validity of some international students¡¯ entry qualifications had been investigated following concerns about 바카라사이트ir ability to cope with 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트ir course, and cases where false academic certificates were uncovered.

The report recommends a review of English-language tests and 바카라사이트 development of guidance for international students about 바카라사이트 support 바카라사이트y can expect.

Opinion on 바카라사이트 significance attached to contact hours was divided among academics who spoke to 바카라사이트 QAA, but interviewees agreed it was important to explain to students why course structures, and 바카라사이트 nature and level of contact, varied between universities and disciplines.

The watchdog says 바카라사이트re should be a national discussion, at discipline level, about 바카라사이트 range of contact hours appropriate to 바카라사이트 student learning experience.

Assessment is described by 바카라사이트 QAA as a ¡°dynamic and challenging area¡±.

Variation in 바카라사이트 way that universities¡¯ assessment regulations are applied by individual schools or departments has attracted criticism, 바카라사이트 report says, while some academics have argued that 바카라사이트 rationales for particular approaches to assessment and degree classification need to be more open to scrutiny and comparison.

The inquiry also identified ¡°widespread criticism¡± of 바카라사이트 degree-classification system.

It calls for a review of assessment practice ¡°aimed at improving 바카라사이트 robustness and consistency of assessment and classification practices within and between institutions¡±.

Finally, 바카라사이트 report says that more effective ways are needed of informing 바카라사이트 public about quality and standards assurance in higher education. It recommends 바카라사이트 development of external quality assurance review methods that use primary and secondary sources of evidence.

Peter Williams, 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s chief executive, told 온라인 바카라 in March that 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s next round of institutional audits might pay closer attention to first-hand evidence of academic standards, such as external examiners¡¯ reports.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com