%0 Journal Article
%@ 0004-0894
%A Page, B
%A Wyse,, S
%A Walkington, H
%A Hill, J
%D 2020
%F discovery:10077264
%I Wiley-Blackwell
%J Area
%K academic standards, assessment, calibration, degree outcomes, grade inflation
%N 2
%P 376-385
%T Degree outcomes and national calibration: debating academic standards in UK Geography
%U https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10077264/
%V 52
%X In this short intervention we report on work in progress by Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) in collaboration with professional bodies such as the RGS‐IBG, which seeks to respond to public concerns about “grade inflation” in relation to degree outcomes. We present an updated analysis of degree outcomes in UK geography for 2010–2016 showing a strong correlation between average A‐level points score on entry and the proportion of good degrees awarded by UK geography departments. We then go on to report on the results of pilot training activities within the discipline to increase the use of social calibration techniques as a means of providing transparent assurance about the high quality of assessment practices. We conclude that there is good reason to engage positively and actively with the public debate about academic standards and we make the case for regular social calibration exercises to share marking practices across multiple institutions as a potential means of ensuring consistency, reliability and clarity in academic standards.
%Z This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.