Transcript Prof Phil Bradley

Teaching and Learning Conference
March 2015
Strategic and practical measures to ensure
equivalence in assessment across
international barriers: The Newcastle
Experience in the UK and Malaysia
Professor Philip Bradley
School of Medical Education
NUMed’s mission
• To provide affordable UK undergraduate
medical education in Malaysia for Malaysian
and International students (not UK or EU)
• Invited to do so by Malaysian government
A Servant of Two Masters
Or maybe more?
Newcastle
University
GMC
MMC
Other
countries?
NUMed
MQA
QAA
MOHE
MOH
Accreditation achieved
• The accreditation process had to ensure that
we delivered a degree in Malaysia to UK
standards
• Therefore equivalence in terms of output was
paramount both for our home institution and
the GMC
Outcome led curricula
• Newcastle (and hence
Malaysian) curriculum had to
be compliant with Tomorrow’s
Doctors 2009
• However there are multiple
pathways to the same outcome
• Equivalent ≠ identical
Measuring output
• We (and all our other
stakeholders) have to be
assured that UK and
Malaysian graduates have
all achieved the same
outcomes by the end of the
course in order that they
are fit to act as Foundation
doctors (House Officers in
Malaysia)
Nature of assessment
• Assessment to outcome
• MBBS Finals exam comprises:– Multiple choice papers using elements shared
across medical schools in the UK
– Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)
– MOSLER (Multiple short cases)
– Summative in-course assessments
– Professionalism assessment
Methods for ensuring equivalence
Equivalence of exams
• NUMed academics attend
Newcastle assessment
group meetings and are
involved in exam planning
(virtually)
• Same exams are set in both
sites with minor contextual
variants
• Blueprinting of exams is
identical
Equivalence of process
• OSCEs and MOSLERs are
conducted in English
• Training of examiners and
role players used shared
materials
• Internal external and
external external examiners
observe and report
• Exams are sat at the same
time and marked
electronically
Validation
• Post examination analysis of results to
check for examiner variance and
cohort differences
• Generalisability studies
Parity of outcome + parity of process
+ parity of experience
• Identify outcome to
be assessed (juggling)
• Define the conditions
in which is to be
assessed (no of balls.
time, location,
marking criteria)
• Check that system has
been followed
Other equivalences
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Teaching approach
Student identity
Research agenda
Student support
Cultural attitudes
Campus identity
?
Beware -Educational colonialism
• Something that works in the UK will not
necessarily work in an international setting
• UK learners are not the same as international
learners
• The UK way is not the only way
• And yet…..Newcastle University does not do
franchises
• And so – how to maintain the Newcastle
brand????
Task
• In your groups think about things that would
need to be done on an overseas campus to
make students feel as if they were getting an
equivalent ‘Newcastle Experience’
Thank you
[email protected]