External Examiner Workshop

The Assessment Process

Colin Davis Academic Registry

20 November 2013

Scope

•This presentation covers the assessment process for Middlesex qualifications

•This will include programmes delivered at Middlesex campuses, and also those delivered under joint and franchise collaborations in the UK and overseas

•Also included are validated programmes which have adopted Middlesex arrangements for assessment

Topics

•Campuses and Schools•Assessment Boards & Programme Progression Committees•Timing of Boards•Structure of degrees•Module Grades and Administrative grades•Re-assessment and deferred assessment•Compensation•Extenuating Circumstances and Deferrals•Plagiarism•Classification of degrees

Session 1: 1st tier boards, role of external examiner,

20-point scale

•Separate regulations for UG and PG students

•Sections A,B,C,E differ

•Section D relates to external examiners’ responsibilities

Campuses and Schools

•Campuses

–Hendon, Dubai, Mauritius, Malta–Other (collaborative programmes)

•Schools–S&T, BS, H&E–A&D, M&P, LAW, IWBL

•Student–has one base campus–studies a programme owned by one school

School Structure

A School has several Departments, each with a Head of Department (HoD)

A Department has several groups, or clusters of Programmes, each with a Director of Programmes (DoP)

Each Programme has a Programme Leader (PL)

Subjects and Programmes

Each module in the university belongs to one Subject

e.g. module code PSY3000-belongs to the PSYchology Subject-is at level 6 (Honours)

Each Programme is made up of modules drawn from one or more Subjects

Two-tier system of Assessment Boards (D)

Subject Boards (1st tier) [confirm module grades]

Programme Progression Committee (2nd tier) [decide students’ progression]

OR

School Assessment Board (2nd tier) [award final qualifications]

Timing of Undergraduate Boards (E1)

•September starters–June: main Boards–July: H&E, S&T resit Boards–September: Other resit Boards

•January Yr 1 starters–July: main Boards–September: resit Boards–Year 2 UG commences in September–Jan start also for UG yr 2 & 3

•Summer School–September: main Boards–June: resit boards

Timing of Postgraduate Boards (E1)

TAUGHT MODULES•September starters

–June: main Boards–September: resit Boards

•January starters –July: main Boards–September: resit Boards

DISSERTATION

•September starters–Nov/ Dec: main Boards

•January starters–February: main Boards

Credit points and the 20 point Grading Scale (E5)

Used for all modules within Middlesex programmes, including joint and franchise arrangements.

Also used on those validated programmes which have adopted Middlesex credit point and grading structures.

Structure of Full-Time Honours Degree (A)

Module 3Module 3

Module 1Module 1Module 2Module 2

Module 4Module 4

YEAR 1

YEAR 2

YEAR 3

Module = 30 creditsYear = 120 creditsHons degree = 360 credits (120+ level 6+ 210+ level 5+ 360 level 4+)

Module 5Module 5

Module 6Module 6

Module 7Module 7

Module 8Module 8

Module 9Module 9

Module 11Module 11

Module 12Module 12

Module 10Module 10

Structure of Full-Time Masters Degree (A)

Module 3Module 3

Module 1Module 1Module 2Module 2

Module 4Module 4

YEAR 1

Module = 30 creditsDissertation = 60 creditsMasters = 180 credit points(inc 150+ at level 7; 30- at level 6)12 months (normally)

See table in section A for credit point requirements for a variety of qualifications

Dissertation Module Dissertation Module

Module Grades (E5)

Grade Honours Degree Masters Degree

1-4 first distinction

5-8 upper second merit

9-12 lower second pass

13-16 third

17 marginal fail: compensation allowed

18 fail: compensation allowed

19 fail

20 fail: incomplete

Administrative Grades (E5)

X did not attend

20 attended – failed to participate in all assessment

I incomplete with good reason

U academic misconduct under investigation

P academic misconduct proven

Y UNGRADED PASS

S aegrotat

C COMPENSATED FAILURE

H not assessed

Re-assessment / deferred assessment (E7)

Failure of a module (grades 17,18,19,20) results in a re-assessment opportunity in the exam, coursework or both

Deferral of exam/coursework is also possible

Example codes:RE, RC, RA, DE, DC, DADERC etc

Capping of grades at re-assessment

Level 3/4 No capping

Level 5/6/7 Capping at component level only

Compensation (E10)

Modules at grade 17 or 18 may be compensated

Subject to satisfactory overall performance

By second tier Board 30 points at level 4 (60 if learning outcomes met)

30 points at level 5+ (60 if extenuating circumstances).

Maximum 30 points for Masters

Module mark sheet (subject board)LAW1001 (grades)

Regno 50% exam 50% cwk overall grade

nnn0435 11 7 9

nnn4523 18 18 18 RA

nnn4743 5 I DE

nnn6816 18 9 18 RE

nnn9284 15 20 20 RC

nnn1325 16 7 11

nnn1575 U 9 U

Module mark sheet (subject board)LAW1001 (marks)

Regno 50% exam 50% cwk av. mark overall grade

nnn0435 63% 53% 58% 9

nnn4523 32% 34% 33% 18 RA

nnn4743 68% I DE

nnn6816 30% 58% 18 RE

nnn9284 43% 20 RC

nnn1325 40% 64% 52% 11

nnn1575 U 58% U

Submission of extenuating circumstances (D9)

Submitted by the student electronically to the assessment manager (via UniHelp). S/he will decide whether to grant deferral of assessment

Considered by PPCs in making progression decisions & School Assessment Boards in making awards

Deferral of modules (E8)

Granted centrally by assessment managers, for exams, coursework or both, on a module by module basis, based on specific extenuating circumstances submitted

A general statement of extenuating circumstances, not linked to deferrals, may be made for consideration at Boards

For confidential issues, the “sealed envelope” system, for the attention of the chair only, is in place

Progressing Student :Subject Assessment Board & PPC

At the end of each year His/her module grades are decided by (one or more) Subject Assessment Boards, thenHis/her overall progression decided by (one) Programme Progression Committee

Assessment grades and a progression decision are published for each student

Finalist Student

At the end of the final year of the programme

His/her module grades are decided by (one or more) Subject Assessment Boards, thenThe final award is made by the School Assessment Board

The conferred qualification is published

Academic Misconduct (section F)

Reported to Chair of the Subject Assessment Board (U grade)

Referred to Academic Registrar at MU for investigation

If disputed by student, investigation panel ensues

Registrar recommends penalty to Assessment Board

P grade & penalties

Applies to all programmes include all collaborative programmes

Delegated responsibility to some collaborative partners

Classification of Honours Degrees (E4.4)

2 profiles based onlevel 5 and above (240points)level 6 and above (120 points)

To achieve a clear class in a profile, a student must achieve :

50% of credits in that class+, No more than 25% low grades

for 1st and 2-1

A borderline profile has:50% of credits in that class+, More than 25% low grades

There are rules to decide class (E4.4.2 & E 4.4.3)

No discretion (E 4.4.2)

Both profiles give same clear class

Clear class at level 6, and not more than 1 class above profile at levels 5&6

Clear class at levels 5&6, and profile at level 6 is on an adjacent lower borderline

Exercising Discretion 1 (E 4.4.3)

There is only 1 profile and it is borderline

There are two profiles and both are borderline

The two profiles do not fall into any combination specified under E 4.4.2

Exercising Discretion 2 (E 4.4.3)

Bear in mindLevel 6 / final stage work

Grade for dissertation / core module(s) at level 6

Extenuating circumstances

The need to be consistent

Hons Class (50% in class)

module grade lev 5 & 6 Lev 6

ABC2000 3 xxxxxx

ABC2005 1 xxxxxx

ABC2010 2 xxxxxx

XYZ2666 4 1st xxxxxx

ABC3000 9

ABC3500 11 L2

XYZ 3000 13

XYZ3100 16

Classification of Masters degrees (E4.6)

1 profile based on level 7+

Minimum 60 graded credit points

Distinction60 pt dissertation grade 4+50% remaining credit grade 4+

Merit60 pt dissertation grade 8+50% remaining credit grade 8+

Masters 50% method

module credit grade outcome

ABC4992 60 3

ABC4000 30 4 Distinction

ABC4500 30 4

ABC4510 30 8

ABC4800 30 16

Considering extenuating circumstances (D8)

Subject BoardsExtenuating circumstances do not alter grades

Finalist boardsConsidered when discretion may be applied (as defined in E 4.4.2)

But note D6, General Discretion

Example finalist profiles

Honours degree finalistsee example sheet

Masters finalistsee example sheet