Pre-marking standardisation as an approach to moderation: exploring academics’ perceptions and experiences of policy change

This paper reports the findings of a small-scale study exploring academics’ experience and perceptions of the implementation and enactment of an institutional assessment policy change. The policy change that the study focuses on is the introduction of pre-marking standardisation as an approach to moderation for when there are multiple markers, adopting the theoretical framework of the implementation staircase. Semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection method to explore academics’ perception of the policy change implementation process and policy enactment. Thirteen academics participated in the study, ten of whom were from the same department. Findings from the study demonstrated that when pre-marking standardisation is introduced through institutional assessment policy, it is interpreted and enacted in different ways despite support for its notion. The paper argues that HEIs must consider more holistic and inclusive policy implementation to ensure more consistent enactment. Furthermore, the paper argues that pre-marking standardisation can be a beneficial practice however anxieties exist around quality assurance post-marking that may lead to academics applying their own practices of post-marking moderation.