@incollection{discovery10198313,
            year = {2024},
          editor = {Nicola Reimann and Ian Sadler and Jennifer Hill},
           month = {August},
           title = {The need for calibration in the disciplines},
       booktitle = {Academic Standards in Higher Education:  Critical Perspectives and Practical Strategies},
           pages = {202--216},
            note = {This version is the author-accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.},
       publisher = {Routledge},
        abstract = {The debate about degree outcomes and comparability of academic standards in Higher
Education is increasingly prominent in academic, political and media discussions in the UK
and internationally. This chapter reports on work undertaken as part of the UK Degree
Standards Project in collaboration with the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of
British Geographers). The intent of the work was for the geography community in the UK,
supported by its learned society and professional body, to respond to public concerns about
'grade inflation' in relation to degree outcomes.
The chapter first presents data on degree outcomes in the UK and with respect to the
subject of geography more specifically. It goes on to report the results of training activities
within the discipline across a range of geographical scales to increase the use of calibration
as a means of providing transparent assurance about the quality of assessment practices.
Positive outcomes are highlighted, including participants acknowledging that they advanced
their understanding of shared academic standards, leading to more closely aligned
academic judgements and grade decisions. Despite the collaborative process engendering a
sense of ownership and willingness to engage with standards issues, the chapter also
highlights the challenges of maintaining such activities.
The chapter concludes that there is good reason for the geography community in the UK to
engage positively and actively with public debate about academic standards. Adoption of
calibration, at a variety of scales, might help to secure a sustainable process that can iterate
between teaching teams, departments, external examiners, and the national disciplinary
community. This system can help to ensure consistency, reliability and clarity in academic
standards, strengthening and supporting the external examining process.},
          author = {Hill, Jennifer and Walkington, Helen and Page, Ben and Wyse, Stephanie},
             url = {https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003379768}
}