External examiners: expert viewpoint or out of date?

Real challenge from an outside expert can propel valuable change, but do external examiners still provide a valuable critical eye for the marketised UK university sector? Six scholars offer their views

Published on
July 26, 2018
Last updated
July 26, 2018
Robert Eaglestone, Thom Brooks, Mary Leng, Karen St.Jean-Kufuor, David Fernig Geoffrey Alderman
Man with glasses
Source: Getty

POSTSCRIPT:

Print headline: Outsider, looking in

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Reader's comments (3)

#1 Submitted by Chris Rust on July 26, 2018 - 12:25pm
It’s a shame that this article not only did not invite a contribution from the Graduate Standards Project led by Advance HE and focussed on professionalising external examining but it is not even referenced
#2 Submitted by ... on July 27, 2018 - 11:01am
Thanks Chris, AdvanceHE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) has devised and piloted with a range of higher education institutions a professional development course for external examiners designed to help to maintain degree output standards and their reasonable comparability across the UK higher education system. This is currently being rolled out across 26 institutions. This project, which is managed by the Office for Students on behalf of England and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales, is exploring, across those three nations, sector-owned processes focusing on professional development for external examiners. For further details of the project and how to get involved, please go to https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hefce-degree-standards Geoff Stoakes, AdvanceHE
#3 Submitted by plg@st-... on July 28, 2018 - 11:13am
As I sit here on a Saturday reading a rather large pile of scripts, moderation reports and spreadsheets of marks I also wonder whether the system is worthwhile. On the other hand, when externals come to my own institution I really value their guidance (and occasional plaudits) for the work that we do here. It is also a genuine opportunity to share ideas and good practice and I think anyone who has been working in one institution for more than ten years should take on an external examining role as it is a refreshing experience.

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