Profile examiners

Summary
A description of the responsibilities and necessary qualifications and the educational level of an examiner in accordance with national and Fontys determined conditions.

Introduction

The WHW (Article 7.12c)1) provides that the examination board appoints examiners. The background to this provision is that the examination board can only guarantee the Assessment quality if the examination board really has the authority to do so, by being able to determine in advance who will take the assessment. In addition, the examination board can intervene afterwards if it turns out that an examiner is not functioning properly.

The Vereniging Hogescholen has adopted a national Basic Qualification Examination (BKE)2), which should lead to certification of examiners, in order to further increase the assessment quality. Fontys has drawn up the Fontys Teaching Qualifications (FKO) for this purpose.

Profile examiner

An examiner is a lecturer who performs one of the activities in the assessment cycle.

Responsibilities in the role of examiner

The examiner who draws up the test:

  1. Composes assessments that match the learning objectives and meet the quality requirements included in the assessment policy;
  2. Involves colleagues in the design of assessments (four-eye principle);
  3. Adjusts the assessment if necessary on the basis of the analysis of the assessment results. The analysis meets guidelines and criteria for reliable, valid and transparent testing and assessment;
  4. Adjusts assessments (assessment, assessment criteria, standards, test matrix) on the basis of evaluation(s).

The examiner who takes the test:

  1. Assesses the test results of students on the basis of predetermined assessment criteria, standards and assessment formats;
  2. In case of doubt, coordinate assessments with the examiners who prepared the test.

Examiner qualifications

The examiner:

  1. Is knowledgeable in the field covered by the test;
  2. Gives development-oriented feedback to students;
  3. Works according to established procedures and guidelines;
  4. In internships: can assess whether the work meets the core phase level of the study programme and has up-to-date and relevant knowledge required for the execution of the assignment. The examiner has an overview of the knowledge area that the student submits;
  5. Upon graduation: can assess whether work meets the final level of the study programme, has knowledge of applied research and current and relevant knowledge required for the execution of the assignment. The examiner has an overview of the knowledge area that the student brings in. Both examiners have master working and thinking levels.

The examiners who draw up the test also have expertise in the field of assessment methods and assessment (working and thinking level in accordance with Mid-level Teaching Qualification (MKO) ).

Examiner educational level

Associate degree

The examiner assessing tests for the Associate degree programme shall have the following formal qualifications:

  1. Minimum bachelor's level;
  2. Minimum the Basic Qualification Education (BKO) (didactic note).

The examiner who assesses tests and is thus ultimately responsible in the Associate degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

  1. At least the Bachelor's level;
  2. At least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO for Research.

The Graduation Assessor in the Associate degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

  1. For graduation: at least one of the examiners has a Bachelor's degree;
  2. At least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO Research.

Bachelor

The examiner assessing tests in the bachelor's degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

  1. Minimum bachelor's level;
  2. At least BKO (didactic note).

The examiner who assesses tests and is thus ultimately responsible for the bachelor's degree programme possesses the following formal qualifications:

  1. At least the bachelor's level;
  2. At least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO for Research.

The graduation assessor in the bachelor's degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

  1. At least the bachelor's level;
  2. At least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO Research;
  3. At least one of the examiners has a Master's degree.

Master

The examiner conducting the test in the master's degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

  1. Minimum master's level;
  2. The examiner who is ultimately responsible for the design of a test has at least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO Research.

The examiner who prepares the test and is thus ultimately responsible in the master's degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

Minimum Master level. The examiner who is ultimately responsible for designing a test has at least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO examination.

The graduation assessor in the master's degree programme has the following formal qualifications:

  1. Minimum Master's level.
  2. The examiner who is ultimately responsible for the design of a test has at least the MKO for Didactics & Assessment as well as MKO Research;
  3. Minimum one of the examiners has a post-master (e.g. PdEng or PhD).

A PhD can count as an equivalent to MKO Research when supervising graduate students.

Procedure for appointing examiners

A graduation committee of students working at Fontys ICT will involve a lecturer from another ICT study programme as a co-examiner and chairman of the graduation session. That external lecturer must meet the above conditions and will be appointed by the examination board.

Human Resources provides an overview of lecturers who have a BKO qualification. At the latest in week 10 of each semester, the policy chamber checks whether the examiners meet the profile requirements and establishes the list of designated examiners. Exceptions and interim changes are reported by the operations managers to the policy chamber.

1)
Wet op het hoger onderwijs en wetenschappelijk onderzoek. (1992, 8 October). Consulted on 18 February 2016, from http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005682/2016-01-01
2)
Vereniging Hogescholen. (2013). Beslissen in het hoger beroepsonderwijs: een voorstel voor een programma van eisen voor een basis- en seniorkwalificatie examinering (BKE/SKE). Accessed on the website of the VSNU: http://www.vsnu.nl/files/documenten/Domeinen/Onderwijs/Conferentie%20Examencommissies/IV%20achtergrondinformatie%20toetsbekwaamheid%20-%20Hanze.pdf