%0 Journal Article
%T Learning to mark: a qualitative study of the experiences and concerns of medical markers
%A Kamila Hawthorne
%A Fiona Wood
%A Kerenza Hood
%A Rebecca Cannings-John
%A Helen Houston
%J BMC Medical Education
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6920-6-25
%X Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven of the 16 GP tutors on an undergraduate course. The purposive sample comprised two new markers, two who had marked for a couple of years and three experienced markers. Each respondent was interviewed twice, once following a formative assessment of a written case study, and again after a summative assessment. All interviews were audio-taped and analysed for emerging themes. A respondent validation exercise was conducted with all 16 GP tutors.Markers had internal concerns about their ability to mark fairly and made considerable efforts to calibrate their marking. They needed guidance and coaching when marking for the first time and adopted a variety of marking styles, reaching a decision through a number of routes. Dealing with pass/fail borderline scripts and the consequences of the mark on the student were particular concerns. Even experienced markers felt the need to calibrate their marks both internally and externallyPrevious experience of marking appears to improve markers' confidence and is a factor in determining the role which markers adopt. Confidence can be improved by giving clear instructions, along with examples of marking. The authors propose that one method of providing this support and coaching could be by a process of peer review of a selection of papers prior to the main marking. New markers in particular would benefit from further guidance, however they are influenced by others early on in their marking career and course organisers should be mindful of this when arranging double marking.Within medical education considerable attention has been devoted to the development of teaching methods, but examiners are often expected to know how to mark assessments, being regarded as experts in their field. Marking written essays is considered particularly challenging in that it requires the marker to apply more subjective measures of quality, often resulting in differences of opinion. The fact that these dif
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/6/25