The 15th Annual External Examiners Seminar

Australia Day

Professor Craig Mahoney

DVC (Learning & Teaching)

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Key Features

• 2 x 13 week semesters

• Assessment shift in Semester 1

• Nomenclature – Student Self-Directed Time– Winter Break– Spring Break

• International student recruitment variations

• Induction, Welcome Week, Fresher’s Week – combined for Year 1 students

• Relevant mainly to UG provision

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Mentoring

• Appointment of new External Examiners– Approval is varied – academia, industry,

private consultants, foreign, retired, etc

• Mentoring support is designed to aid understanding of the systems and protocols used at Northumbria

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Critical Friend

• Advice

• Review

• Guidance

• Quality & Standards

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Assessments

• Feedback on;– Type of assessment load offered– Experience with non-percentage marks– Increasing classification numbers for 1st and

2:1– Assessment for Learning– SDF Employer Engagement success

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Bologna

• Transcript of Record

• Diploma Supplement

• HEAR Trial (n=18)– Recording achievement– Retrospective on Biology and Accounting– Forward trial from September 2009

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The Journey

We teach over 7,320 modules on over 560 courses

2006/07 1st Class 627 & 2359 2:1

degrees

7120 students attended 22

graduations last year - more than 11,000 students

graduated

National Student Survey 2008 – 71% response rate, 84% satisfaction

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Student Experience

• 50th in latest survey

• NSS results favourable

• Vibrant Student Services

• Staff:Student ConsultativeCommittee

• Considered a national leaderin Student Representation

• Feedback loops

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National Student Survey

• 71% response rate

• 84% approval rating

• 90% prepared to recommend Northumbria

• Responsiveness

• Feedback of work 4 weeks unless otherwise stated, aspiration of 3 weeks

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Exam Boards

• Intention to move towards ‘limited paper’ Boards

• Trial completed with considerable success

• Greater flexibility

• Higher reliability with SITS