The increase in first-class honours degrees being awarded by third level institutions "is defensible", the President of NUI Galway has said.

A report in yesterday's Irish Times also indicated that a study yet to be published would reveal that there had been a 115 per cent increase in the number of firsts awarded by NUIG since 1994.

However, Dr Jim Browne said students were not being examined less rigorously, rather the increase was "explainable in terms of the system correcting itself to some extent in response to advice from some examiners."

Progress in course content, technology, semesterisation and the dedication of students to succeed in a competitive marketplace had also driven up grades naturally, he suggested.

"Students are far more aware of how more important it is to get a H1 or a H2.1 (degree), as it is a very competitive marketplace out there. I think student are working harder than they did in the past.

"Students are getting a better quality of service. I think the programmes have evolved. I think the fact it's a two-semester year, with much more continuous assessment work and more frequent exams, all that makes for better performance.

"Students now are more competitive, more aware and more striving," he said.

And, he said, this evolution had not come about accidentally either. From analysing exam results annually and acting accordingly to advice and statistics, the NUI universities had created an environment where students could achieve these grades.

"The external examiners appointed by the NUI have commented for years about low proportion of Irish graduates with H1s. They felt, and it was said to us, that Irish universities were too parsimonious with H1s. That was a strong message the NUI got from a range of external examiners from the late 90s-early 2000s. There was a concerted effort to deal with that criticism," he explained.

He said that 9.4 per cent of graduates in the four NUI universities got H1 degrees in 1999, rising to 15.6 per cent in 2007.

Comments (1) »

Why Grade Inflation May Not Be Happening...
written by Martin Ryan, March 05, 2010

There are reasons why grade inflation may not be happening in Ireland. These include better technology, evolved institutions and more intense competition between students.

http://gearybehaviourcenter.blogspot.com/2010/03/grades.html

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