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Examining Procedures at Liverpool Hope University: External Examiner Guidance 2018

This guide provides detailed information on the examination procedures at Liverpool Hope University, including the publication of results, arrival at the results, and the role of external examiners. It covers topics such as the electronic publication of results, explanation of pass/failed grades, overall grades and marks, and the 2-stage procedure. The guide also highlights the importance of consistency and decision-making during the examination boards.

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Examining Procedures at Liverpool Hope University: External Examiner Guidance 2018

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  1. Guide 3:Examining Procedures at Liverpool Hope Liverpool Hope University External Examiner Guidance: 2018 University Registrar

  2. 1. Publication of Results slides 3-52. Arriving at the Results slides 6-8in a nutshell3. Arriving at the Results slides 9-12detailed procedures4. Role of External Examiners slides 13-185. And finally…. slide 19 Contents

  3. 1. Publication of results (a) • Electronically: • summary viaemail; • full details via thewebsite; • all read from data approved by Boards of Examiners. • EmailSummary: • Progression / Award Status, for example….. • Pass Level C[4]; Progress to LevelI[5] • 1st class honours • Retake Level I[5] withAttendance • Deferred Assessment Granted • [over 100 otherpossibilities…..] • Explanation of what the status means and what action is needed • oradvised.

  4. 1. Publication of results (b) • FullDetails [continued on next slide] • Progression / Award Status &explanation. • Overall Grade & Mark for each undergrad. block or postgrad. module. • A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, D, E [undergraduate passgrades] • PD, PM, P [postgraduate passgrades] • FQ, F+, F, F-, U etc. [failgrades] • Metc. [mitigating circumstancesgrades] • Overall Result for each undergraduate block or postgraduatemodule. • Pass • “Not YetPassed” • [for fail grades: reassessmentopportunity; • [for “M” grades: deferred initial assessmentopportunity]. • Fail • [no reassessmentopportunity].

  5. 1. Publication of results (c) • FullDetails [continued from previous slide] • Explanation of what Pass / Not Yet Passed / Fail mean, and whatactionis needed oradvised. • Grade and mark for every assessmentcomponent. Note that the University has a standard mark system for qualitative pieces of assessment. • Key Themes Exam M 0 • Major Authors Essay C 54 • Practical Portfolio B+ 68 • Placement Learning P • [Re]submission date for every component for which the student has anM, F or U grade, and a further assessment opportunity has beengranted.

  6. 2. Arriving at the results…in a nutshell(a) • Wherever possible, we use a single-stage procedure: • a subject-based Assessment, Progression & Award Board[“APAB”], attended by the External Examiner, will agree, for eachstudent • marks, grades & results for u/g blocks or p/gmodules; • overall Progression / Awardoutcomes. • In other cases, we use a 2-stageprocedure: • subject based APABs[attended by the ExternalExaminer] will agree • marks, grades & results for u/g blocks or p/gmodules; • a subsequent University-wide Progression & Award Board [“PAB”], attended by a Faculty Examiner, will agree • overall Progression / Awardoutcomes.

  7. 2. Arriving at the results…in a nutshell(b) • For Single Honours, we typically use the single-stage procedure • BUT at Level C we use the two-stage procedure to dealwith students who take a second subject examined by a different team. • For CombinedHonours, we typically use the 2-stage procedure • BUT we use a single-stage procedurefor • students taking 2 Majors examined by the same examiners [egHistory & Politics]. • A single meeting may treat cohorts differently • The undergraduate Music meeting in June will: • agree block results ANDprogression/award outcomes for BA Music. • agree ONLYblock results for students taking Music as a “Major” • in Combined Honours or a “Specialist Subject” within BAQTS.

  8. 2. Arriving at the results…in a nutshell(c) • In order to achieve consistency in a devolvedsystem…. • We hold a meeting of the assessment coordinators in May, attended by representatives from all academic Departments at which the approach to examination boards is discussed. • Board members will receive a “Guide to Making Decisions About Students”, focussing on the cohorts to be discussed [summer 2019 version currently in preparation]. • Before the meeting, the Registrar [or nominee] will liaise with the Chair of the Board to identify any relevant precedents set by previousBoards. • Where a Board sets a regulatory precedent, the Registrar will arrange for the Chairs of all subsequent Boards to be informed of thatprecedent.

  9. 3. Arriving at the results….. detailed procedures (d) • During the APAB [continued on next slide] • Membership is internal examiners PLUS External Examiner[s] PLUS Registrar or nominee; chaired by HoD ornominee. • Receive list of all credit rated blocks and modules scrutinised by the Internal Examiners Committee. • External Examiners confirm that a sample of each assessment in each block/module has been moderated, and that they are happy to proceed on the basis of the internal marks. • If NOT, issues are resolved that this point. • [If appropriate] receive a note of which cohorts need to be considered via the 2-stage procedure, and formally mandate a named internal examiner to represent the Department at each PAB.

  10. 3. Arriving at the results….. detailed procedures (d) • During the APAB [continued from previous slide] • For each student to be considered via the single-stage procedure: • receivea profilegenerated from SITS, comprising • marks, grades and results already confirmed by the IEC, • proposedprogression decisions, award decisions and degree classifications [generated on the basis of the confirmed marks etc]; • noteany changes to the profiles resulting from external moderation; • agreeconfirmed progression/award/classificationoutcomes • SITS may propose generous interpretation of regulations - Board canover-ride, • consider classifications for any students for whom the Board can exercisediscretion, • carefully consider outcomes for students with Fail results forU/G blocksand P/G modules, • if necessary, reconsider Not Yet Passed results in light of • overall decisions.

  11. 3. Arriving at the results….. detailed procedures (d) • During a second-stage PAB • Transcripts will be scrutinised as at APABs, exceptthat: • the student profiles will reflect any mark/grade/result changes agreed at the APAB; • for those students who are not being considered for an award, the Board will focus on those students for whom at least one APAB had agreed a Defer or Fail result for at least one block/module.

  12. 4. Role of External Examinersgeneral • Ensure that assessment processes and standards are applied appropriately, consistently andfairly. • Judge whether or not the learning outcomes of each U/G block or P/G module have beenmet. • Ensure that the learning outcomes are appropriate in the light of national standards and benchmarks. • Measure the outcomes against the appropriate programme specifications.

  13. 4. Role of External Examinersmoderating work (a) • Regulations • “It is not the role of the external examiner to act as a third marker where there is a disagreement between two internal markers. It is the responsibility of the internal markers to seek to come to an agreed grading and for the external examiner to confirm, or otherwise, the validity of thatdecision.” • “Although an External Examiner is entitled, on the basisofhis/her scrutiny of a sample of work, to propose that, overall, the marks awarded on a block or module should be raised or lowered, she/he should not normally adjust the marks awarded to individual candidates whose work was included in thesample.” • “An External Examiner may reach the conclusion that the standards applied to the samplehave been over-generous or too harsh and, as a consequence, may propose a change to the grades awarded. In such circumstances, internal examinersshould reconsider the marks awarded to the whole cohort, not just to those students whose work was included in thesample.”

  14. 4. Role of External Examinersmoderating work (b) • Guidance • Please focus on whether broad standardsareappropriate. • E.g. • At Level M[7] are assessments marked at A- grade or above consistent with the award of aDistinction? • At Level H[6] are grades of B- and B indicative of low 2iwork? • Any adjustments agreed following external moderation willbe applied to individual assessment components, NOT direct to overallaggregates. • As a result, aggregates will always be based solely on the marks for individual assessments.

  15. 4. Role of External Examinerssamples of work • You must be able to examine students’ work for a range of assessments for each module/block in your remit. [“All assessments must be undertaken in a way that enables externalmoderation”.] • Negotiate samples with your Departments. You can request further work if you cannot reach a judgement aboutstandards. • Samples are expected toinclude: • work within the first class band [for undergraduates] or the distinction band [forpostgraduates]; • fails [particularly fails close to keyboundaries]; • a representative sample of other work [including, for undergraduates, a sample of work within each of the mark ranges corresponding to • particular degreeclassifications]; • work from all Levels of Study [but Level C(4) can be lessextensive].

  16. 4. Role of External Examinersapproval of proposed assessments • You should be asked to comment on draft coursework assessments as well as draft exam papers, before they are issued to students. • Please scrutinise carefully!

  17. 4. Role of External Examinersin the APAB • Attend at least one APAB a year. • Summer 2019 dates have beenagreed. • In May/June, agree attendance requirements for thereassessment meetings. • Give oral comments about: overall standards, examples of good practice, how the curriculum and/or its assessment procedures might beenhanced. • Help the APAB to identify and consider any generic issues that should be drawn to the attention of the Registrar. • Ensure that the procedures for determining students’ entitlement to progress or to receive an award, are applied appropriately, consistently, fairly and in line with the University’s • regulations and conventions.

  18. 4. Role of External ExaminersFaculty Examiners • Each Faculty has, in addition to their subject external examiners, one 'Faculty Examiner' who is chosen from the ranks of experienced subject externalexaminers. • For a small additional fee, Faculty Examiners are askedto: • consider all external examiner reports within theFaculty; • attend PAB meetings, as agreed by theRegistrar; • submit a written report in September of each year based on these two activities, reporting to the University issues, concerns and good practice in relation to assessment and examination board procedures and practices; • where appropriate, act as mentors for new or lessexperienced externalexaminers.

  19. 5. And finally… • We hope you have found this presentation useful. • If you have any queries please email Dr Cathy Walsh [University Registrar] at walshc@hope.ac.uk

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