External music examiners: micro–macro tasks in quality assurance practices

Abstract

External music examiners play a significant role in assessing, verifying and maintaining musical standards. Educational output endorsed by external examiners serves to verify, modify and legitimise internal behaviour. This article examines some of the ‘inside practices’ of external music examiners in the context of quality assurance. It compares the different tasks of music examiners in specific authentic scenarios and evaluates the significance of such micro–macro tasks with regard to their impact on and contribution to best practices. It distinguished the various levels of participation occupied by external music examiners and classified them as public examiners, specialist examiners and institutional moderators. It advocates for specialised training being accorded to external examiners in recognition of their transformative roles undertaken in the advancement of music teaching and learning within the framework of good practice.

Keywords:

• external music examiners
• micro–macro tasks
• quality assurance
• public music examination boards
• assessments
• transformative roles