External Examiners Briefing Session Friday 14th December 2018

Responsibilities and Engagement of External Examiners Martin Pinnick Office of Quality Standards and Partnerships

The Strategic Role of External Examiners Help to ensure the University is fit for purpose in terms of its strategic educational function – internationally, nationally and locally Growing importance with annual return to Office for Students – reassures Governors

The Strategic Role of External Examiners The University (and its Colleges and Schools) depend on External Examiner input and reports in order to check that: national and/or professional standards are being maintained standards of student performance are comparable with similar programmes in the UK students are being treated fairly and equitably subjects are responsive to External Examiner comments, as expected by the QAA Quality Code

Quality Assurance Agency The recently revised QAA Quality Code sets out expectations and guiding principles for HE providers relating to the use of external expertise: “Degree-awarding bodies [should] engage external examiners to provide impartial and independent advice, as well as informative comment on the degree-awarding body’s standards and on student achievement in relation to those standards…” http://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/quality-code/advice-and-guidance/external-expertise

QAA Institutional Review 2012 1.2. Scrupulous use is made of External Examiners. The University of Lincoln has produced a full definition of the role of External Examiners and operates robust processes with clear criteria for their nomination, appointment and induction.

Responsibilities of External Examiners The HEA’s brief summary of the practicalities is that:   Acting as an External Examiner generally involves the review of a selection of exam scripts, assignments and dissertations followed by informal engagement with staff to discuss the assessed work; and then the formal meeting of the examination board. But there is more to it than that… 7

Responsibilities of External Examiners Confirm the maintenance of threshold academic standards Confirm the assessment process measures student achievement rigorously and fairly Confirm that academic standards and student achievement are comparable with other UK higher education institutions Provide informative comment on good practice and opportunities for enhancement Essential component of University quality assurance and enhancement processes e.g. Annual Monitoring and Periodic Academic Review 8

Practically this means… You may have been part of the original validation Approval of modifications to modules or programmes Approval of assessment tasks and examination papers Reviewing samples of student work Endorsement of student marks Attendance at Boards of Examiners Confirming programmes are in line with sector norms and expectations – Quality Code Liaison with programme teams Submission of an Annual Report

Other Sources of Guidance In order to ensure that programmes are operating at the correct level: Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) Bloom’s Taxonomy QAA Benchmark Statements Professional Body Requirements and Standards UK Quality Code

The Annual Report Definitive record of engagement with the team Not a simple confirmation exercise Opportunity for constructive critique Cross-site comparability of provision Some provision is unique e.g. military Submission of a satisfactory report triggers payment Please engage with the process as a peer academic who can help the team develop their provision

External Examiners are not responsible for: The assessment of individual students Encouragement to raise or lower marks for individual students Individual cases relating to mitigating circumstances or academic integrity Acting as final arbiter for the award of marks/grades Communicating directly with individual students

Summary The External Examiner system: Is central to quality assurance and enhancement Provides peer feedback Provides a checking system Provides an improvement mechanism Provides confirmation of good practice Helps to ensure the University is educationally fit for purpose