New external examiners: a practical survival guide workshop: resource development - Extra date announced

With the increasing emphasis on assuring standards in undergraduate education, especially in the health professions disciplines, there is a need to demonstrate that standards are equivalent across the country, and that graduating practitioners are fit to join their profession wherever they have studied. The only formal system which exists in the UK is the HE External Examiner system, which aims to assure standards across the same course at different Higher Education Institutions, but the role and function of externals can be vary varied, both in terms of what an institution demands and how well-prepared externals are for their roles.

The QAA has developed handbooks of guidance for the Assessment of Students and External Examining but people taking on External Examinerships are often not fully prepared for their roles.

This workshop draws together many years of external examining experience by the main facilitators and HEA research into the role of external examiners, to develop a workshop which will be of practical benefit in raising the standards of external examining in the health professions disciplines. The workshop will be informative for participants in terms of raising awareness of existing national documentation from the QAA and the professional regulatory bodies, as well as HEI assessment documentation. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about best practice in assessment and to take part in experiential activities dealing with difficult situations for external examiners.

Aims

Overall, this workshop aims to raise the standards of external examining by laying the groundwork for accessing relevant documentation and assuring equivalent standards across the country in the health profession.

Proposed outcomes

Materials

• Tutor briefing notes (to enable others to run this workshop)
• Powerpoint presentations for this workshop
• Handouts of presentations
  
• Reading list
• Case studies for new external examiners
• Edited video and audio recordings of the sessions together with associated paper resources as above
• Guidelines for utilising the materials
  

Benefits

• Understanding of the UK External Examiner system
• Familiarisation with QAA guidance on external examining and assessing students, subject benchmarks and professional regulatory body documentation for undergraduate education
• Understanding of basic assessment theory underpinning examination systems
• Experience of dealing with difficult situations as an external examiner
• Networking with others involved in external examining

For the disciplinary community

• A model of formal introduction for new external examiners
• A systematic practical guide to external examining
• Raising of standards of external examiners

Facilitators: Kathy Boursicot, Trudie Roberts and Nigel Purcell.

Places are limited and on a first come first served basis