The Higher Education Academy (HEA) was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in 2015 to conduct a Review of External Examining Arrangements in the UK. The Review of External Examining Arrangements across the UK was published by HEFCE and contributed to its revised operating model for quality assessment in Higher Education in England.
The overall aims of the review were to:
- Consider how the recommendations of the Finch Review to strengthen external examining arrangements in universities and colleges in the UK have been implemented across the sector, three years on from publication of this review
- Assess if the arrangements for external examining are fit for purpose now and looking ahead to the changing higher education environment of 2025
The objectives were to:
- Assess whether the recommendations of the Finch Review had been implemented universally across the sector
- Assess the effectiveness of the external examining system in safeguarding standards and maintaining the confidence of stakeholders
- Consider whether in this changing higher education environment – looking to 2025 – what, if any, further changes might be required to the external examining system if significantly more reliance were placed on it in revised future quality assessment arrangements
- Make recommendations for actions and their implementation where a need is identified
Research team
Professor Sue Bloxham, the Principal Investigator, Emeritus Professor in the Research Institute for Professional Learning in Education (RIPLE) at the University of Cumbria.
Professor Margaret Price, Professor of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Business and Management at Oxford Brookes University.
Professor Chris Rust, Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at Oxford Brookes University.
Dr John Craig, Director (Academic Practice) at the HEA.
Dr Geoff Stoakes, Head of Research at the HEA.