Managing Research Degree Examination: ensuring transparency, consistency and fairness
Unfortunately this event has had to be postponed until early 2011. Please send us a message if you would like to be notified by email when the new date is confirmed.
Thursday 16th December 2010London House, Goodenough College, London
1 day
This one-day workshop is aimed at Pro Vice-Chancellors, Heads of Graduate Schools and Research Groups and Chairs of Research Degree Committees and Boards as well as Research Administrators with a brief that covers examinations (in short, all those working in universities who have an interest in the research degree examination process). It addresses some of the issues arising in the context of examination across the range of research degree awards including awards at masters level and doctoral awards such as PhD, professional doctorates and the PhD by Published work. It examines the requirements of the QAA Code and in particular the trend towards independent Chairs of examinations,
Discussions will be set in the context of the recommendations regarding such examination in the QAA Code of Practice (as well as relevant comments in the Report on the review of research degree programmes), in the light of some Research Council views on examination and in the worldwide context of doctoral examination. It addresses the following key issues in current practice.
1. The current range of practices with regard to research degree examination
- a worldwide perspective
- the possible need to regularise
- the range of research degree awards and how to respond to them in terms of examination (does one size fit all?)
2. QAA expectations in relation to the range of research degree examination practices
- shifting goalposts
- does the QAA Code of practice ensure transparency, consistency and fairness?
3. The examination as a two stage process (submission and oral examination)
- the purpose and function of each element
- criteria for research degree awards
- establishing a doctoral level (standard) of award and its examination
- what is being examined?
- managing both stages
- using 'independent chairing' as part of that managing
4. Training examiners.
- 'Training' internal examiners
- 'Mentoring' internal examiners
- Training at national level?
- Codes of practice for all examiners
- Enabling examiners to be flexible (and training them to be so)
Provisional Programme
| 9.30 - 10.00 | Registration and Refreshments |
| 10.00 - 10.10 | Introduction |
| 10.10 - 10.30 | Howard's Quiz |
| 10.30 - 11.10 | Key Issues around Current Practice of Doctoral Examination in the UK |
| 11.00 - 11.15 | Delegates' Direction Plans |
| 11.05 - 11.45 | Breakout Session 1: current practice, best practice and experiences |
| 11.35 - 12.00 | Report back |
| 12.00 - 12.05 | Delegates' Direction Plans |
| 12.05 - 12.45 |
How can 'Quality' be interpreted in the context of research degree examination? To include:
|
| 12.45 - 1.15 | Lunch |
| 1.15 - 2.45 | Breakout Session 2: An Institutional Approach to Managing Research Degree Examination- A case study |
| 1.55 - 2.00 | Task: How collaborative is your institution |
| 2.45 - 3.10 | Feedback |
| 3.10 - 3.15 | Delegates' Direction Plans |
| 3.15 - 3.55 |
How to get there: creating and implementing a policy To include:
|
| 3.55 - 4.00 | Delegates' Direction Plans |
| 4.00 - 4.15 | Top priorities and actions |
| 4.15 | Close |
The cost for this event will be £295 per delegate. Due to the nature and level of this workshop, places are limited to 30.
Unfortunately this event has had to be postponed until early 2011. Please send us a message if you would like to be notified by email when the new date is confirmed.
You can also view our full programme of workshops.