TrishP

I had to have my qualifications assessed by WES so they could compare the standard to a Canadian equivalent. My BSc(Hons) was assessed as being the same as a Bachelor's level here. Even though I know that my degree from the UK was a helluva lot harder to obtain than the Canadian equivalent (I know as I assess students here), its a case of suck it up - at the end of the day, its just about getting a job!

youngmimesofharlem

I graduated some years ago but work in what might be termed 'high science' and my transcript has been required before here and in Britain.

So LOL on that.

Also, i'm not suggesting that N. American university courses are easier but that the grading schemes are more expansive.

Novocastrian

But North American (or at least Canadian) Universities recognize this fact and are also not idiots.

I can't speak for the private sector.

bodgerx

What always confused me about University marking (for my degree anyway) is that the professor (et al) giving the lectures on a particular element of the degree would also set the exam and mark it. Always seemed a conflict of interest to me...

Sorry, thread drift.

Novocastrian

That's a thought provoking comment. Why a conflict of interest though?

Alan2005

I don't think there is one. Besides isn't second marking supposed to weed out any bias.

bodgerx

Well, it struck me that on a few of my degree 'units' that lecturers struggled with the students on a lot of topics, to be clear, most students just weren't grasping the concepts necessary to get the questions correct that lecturers had obviously planned in the exams.

Towards the end of the units, it became obvious that the lecturers were basically either heavily hinting that a particular question would be in an exam, or dropping answers to questions that were to all intents and purposes the actual exam answers.

If you had a class full of losers, what would it look like if every single one failed? Or if they were all fantastic, what would it look like if they all got excellent results? I'm not sure where accountability lies in a university, but it just didn't seem right to me.

Just my personal experience. And, by the way, this was one of the UK's more well respected Universities...

Novocastrian

When it's used, yes. That helps in big (1st & 2nd year classes) where the marking is done by grad students rather than professors. It's easy enough to adjust the sample means among groups marked by different markers.

I tend to do my own marking because I only teach to 3rd year and above, so that class sizes are smaller (typically 50-100). It's less work on balance to do it myself rather than check markers' abilities as well as the stoodents'.

Alan2005

My exams were all scaled. Can't remember how they did it was exactly, but it wasn't as simple as normalization as some exams only had a few people doing them. My number theory exam only had 4 of us doing it.

Alan2005

The people I know in UK unis all mark their own work, and then a percentage is marked again by someone else. I think all the firsts, thirds, and any border-line cases were also second marked (I may be wrong though)

Novocastrian

Well, it's an interesting topic, but hypothetical I think.

I've never had a class full of losers or a class full of fantastic students. In my experience the class average doesn't vary much at all year over year. Losers and great students for sure, but mostly mediocre of various hues.

If it were to happen (lots of F's or lots of A's) we have to file an Anomalous Grade Report with a justification for the distribution.

Novocastrian

Fair enough. The system here is a bit different. We have a departmental grade ratification meeting at which borderline cases in each course are discussed by all the faculty.

Mostly a waste of time, but you gotta be accountable.

Novocastrian

We have a let out clause for the small class scenario. Recognizing that statistics don't apply to small numbers, any class of less than 15 is exempt.

Surely you learned that in your number theory class?

Alan2005

I know that my number theory exam marks were adjusted downwards despite the fact there weren't many of us doing it. Anyway number theory isn't stats - and sadly I had to google what it actually is cos I'd forgotten.

bodgerx

Fair enough. I would of thought there would be checks and balances somewhere. There did appear to be an element of desperation in the actions of these lecturers though - as if there was some pressure being applied.