Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Changes to the Code of Practice

on External Examining

Academic Services

Anne Marie O’Mullane April 2013

AnneMarie.O'Mullane@ed.ac.uk

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Revision 2012/13

• Revised to comply with QAA UK Quality Code• Next ELIR will look at use of external reference points

• Today – overview of key changes• Follow-up – standard text for School use

Code of Practice on External Examining

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes - appointment

• More explicit statements about knowledge and expertise of Externals (paragraph 14)

• Wider set of conflicts of interest (paragraph 15)

This is a non-exhaustive list.

Code of Practice on External Examining

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes – terms of appointment

• Term of appointment now 4 years with exceptional 1 year extension (para. 16)

• Re-appointment possible after 5 years have elapsed (para.18)

• External Examiners should not hold more than 2 appointments (para.19)

Recognition of UoE staff who are External Examiners• UoE staff who are External Examiners –

University/Schools expected to recognise role and agree time for staff to fulfil duties (para. 10)

Code of Practice on External Examining

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes – involvement in assessment

• Assessed coursework – where 50% or more of marks are determined by coursework, External must receive information about the coursework and coursework samples (para 34.4)

• Oral, practical and clinical exams – if more than 50% assessed orally, a minimum of 2 examiners must be involved, of whom 1 may be the External (para. 34.4)

• Same degree of involvement of External in practical exams as in written exams (para. 34.6)

Code of Practice on External Examining

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes – Board of Examiners meeting

• At least 1 External must participate in and approve the decisions of the Board of Examiners (para. 34.7.1)

• Replaces previous separate requirements for pre-Honours and Honours Boards

• Addition of contribution to Board of Examiners meeting by webcam/Skype if unable to be present in person (paragraph 34.71.)

Code of Practice on External Examining

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes – student engagement

• External Examiner reports available in full to students on request (except any confidential report direct to HoC/APASQA)

• Involve student reps in consideration of the themes arising from recommendations in External Examiner reports and responses made by the Schools or the relevant academic unit. This ideally occurs at SSLCs or equivalent. Guidance is currently in development.

Code of Practice on External Examining

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes – transparency of information

• Include names, positions & institutions of External Examiners in course and programme handbooks. (paras. 52-54)

• Guidance currently being developed to cover FOI, DPA issues involved with meeting this requirement – includes draft text for communications with external examiners.

Excellence - Education; Research; Knowledge Exchange

Key changes – reports & cause for concern

• QAA Quality Code emphasises External Examiner providing ‘informative comment and recommendations’, hence report form redesign

• General themes from External Examiner reports to be considered at institution level - key part of ELIR 3 (para. 47).

• Cause for concern procedure – an External Examiner can raise concerns with QAA if exhausts University procedures (para. 57)

Code of Practice on External Examining