Benchmarking Academic Standards in History: an empirical exercise

Abstract

The article reports on a small‐scale project that investigated the potential of using a benchmarking club on assessment practices in History as a means of establishing and comparing academic standards. The context of the project is described and the benchmarking club's key findings are presented. Issues addressed are the subject goals, levels of study, assessment methods, assessment criteria, marking practices, feedback mechanisms, and the monitoring and dissemination strategies used in the participants' universities. A number of preliminary conclusions aimed at national policy, institutions, subjects and individual modules suggest that benchmarking as a process for comparing academic standards across departments to identify best practice could be a valuable tool of quality assurance. However, there must be doubt about the worth of creating academic benchmarks as baselines against which to measure the academic standards of subjects.

Notes

[1]Collectively, the Student Assessment and Classification Working Group (SACWG).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mantz Yorke[1]

[1]Collectively, the Student Assessment and Classification Working Group (SACWG).