FACULTY REFLECTIONS｜Dr Michael High: “This is a demanding job, but it is extremely important.”

As he steps down as DMC Examination Officer, Dr Michael High reflects on his role and discusses how the university moderation system ensures consistent standards for every degree, from assignment design to final grades.
在卸任 DMC 考试官一职之际，Michael High博士反思了自己的角色，并讨论了大学审核系统如何确保从作业设计到最终成绩的每个学位都保持一致的标准。

By YUHAN YAO
What ensures the integrity of a university degree? The answer, in large part, lies in a system of quality assurance. As he concludes his three-year tenure as the Department of Media Communication (DMC) Examination Officer, Dr Michael High spoke to DMC Newsletter, shedding light on the essential yet often overlooked role of EO. In this conversation, he outlines the critical function of the role and the rigorous Dual Moderation system, a meticulous process for ensuring every assessment is fair, consistent, and sound.

“It was nice working with you,” Dr High says, extending his thanks to his colleagues during a dedicated moment in his honor on July 1. Photo by DMC Newsletter.

Rigors of the two-step process
Dr High’s core responsibility involves ensuring that all departmental assessments strictly adhere to university policies. This relies on a unique UK-style dual moderation system. The first step involves the Assessment Moderation. Before a course begins, the assignments (essays, exams, projects, etc.) designed by module leaders are submitted to both internal and external moderators for review. The moderators evaluate whether the assignments accurately assess the course's learning outcomes, level of difficulty and whether they comply with university assessment policies.

Dr High emphasized, “It’s about the compliance of the assessment policy itself.” Furthermore, internal moderation feedback is typically provided within 2-3 days of submission, and the module leader revises the assessments accordingly.

The second step is Mark Moderation. After students submit their assignments and grades are given, the module leader must take a 10% sample of the assignments, along with the grades and feedback, for review. First, an internal moderator checks the fairness, accuracy, and usefulness of the feedback. Then, for further evaluation, the sample is submitted to an external examiner, a senior professor from a UK institution.

Dr High explained, “We currently have two external examiners, one for undergraduates and one for postgraduates. They are senior professors from UK universities.” The external examiners, upholding UK academic standards, help ensure not only that individual assignments are correctly graded but also that the entire department or program meets UK standards. All moderation steps are driven by strict deadlines throughout the semester.

“This is why professors sometimes say, ‘The assignment brief is still under moderation,’” Dr High explained. “Behind this is a complete quality assurance process, where both internal colleagues and UK external examiners work together to ensure that the assessments students receive are of high quality and aligned with the module's learning objectives.”

Only after completing all moderation steps can the assessments be finalized and released to students.

The demands of the EO
Behind this rigorous evaluation system lies a significant amount of work. Serving as an exam officer requires familiarity with a vast number of policy documents. “My policy package for new faculty contains 36 PDFs,” Dr High admitted, pointing to documents covering academic integrity, late submission policies, feedback standards, and mitigating circumstances (MC).

Coming from the US, Dr High initially faced a cultural difference: “The American system does not have any moderation. These policy documents are often long, dry, and difficult to understand. I had to read them repeatedly and refresh my memory whenever handling colleagues’ inquiries.”
Additionally, handling special circumstances requires both wisdom and empathy. Dr High is responsible for reviewing all student MC requests, such as extensions due to illness or family issues, and making decisions based on policy (e.g., requiring a doctor's note with a diagnosis instead of a pharmacy receipt).

“Within the limits of the policy, I try my best to help students in difficult situations,” he said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, over half of the students submitted MC requests, greatly increasing the workload. Despite this, he always did his best to ensure that students facing real difficulties received the necessary assistance. “It was an unforgettable experience,” he added with a smile.

One of the many contributions Dr High made was giving presentations on assessments and the moderation process. Photo by DMC Newsletter.

AI, innovation, and advice
As AI (Artificial Intelligence) continues to evolve, it poses new challenges for the assessment system. Dr High noted that when he started, AI was not a concern at the time, but now concerns over its overuse in student work are growing. He stressed the need to revise assessment designs to prevent AI from easily completing them. Both internal and external moderators should provide feedback on assignments vulnerable to AI misuse. The department is responding by creating more creative assessments, moving away from traditional research papers.

As Dr High prepares to pass on the role to Dr Merisa Skulsuthavong, he highlighted the challenge of helping instructors understand AI's development and adapt assessments accordingly, which will require continuous innovation.

He advises students to actively understand the moderation process. Listening carefully when professors discuss policies or mention assessments “under moderation” will help students better understand their grades and feedback, as it ensures fairness and quality.

For colleagues, he emphasized the importance of using the checklists he created for the moderation process. These checklists outline the necessary steps and policies, improving efficiency and consistency in policy implementation for all faculty members. Using these checklists could be helpful for correct policy adherence.

After completing his term, Dr High will begin a one-semester sabbatical to focus on the research that he had put on hold due to his duties as an examination officer.

Reflecting on his three years in the role, he noted the weight of the responsibility: “This is a demanding job, but it is extremely important. It ensures that every degree we award is of consistent value, standard, and student experience, aligned with UK standards and tested over time.”
As he concludes his term, he leaves behind the simplest advice for everyone—whether examination officers, professors or students: “Maintaining a balance between work and life is essential. Exercise, eat well, and maintain relationships with friends and family.”

Dr High with Professor Xiaoling Zhang, who presented him with a token of appreciation for his service as Examination Officer. Photo by DMC Newsletter.

Maintaining integrity in assessment
Dr Skulsuthavong, who is succeeding Dr High, expressed her admiration for his commitment to academic integrity, fairness and transparent assessment practices during the processes. “His leadership laid a strong foundation for future developments,” she said.

She is particularly inspired by Dr High’s approach, blending integrity, transparency and kindness, which cultivated a supportive and open environment within the department. She aims to continue this legacy, ensuring assessments remain fair, clear and aligned with evolving educational needs.

As the new EO of the Department, Dr Skulsuthavong is committed to adapting practices while maintaining academic integrity, working collaboratively with the Learning and Teaching Committee to address emerging pedagogical and technological challenges.

Story by YUHAN YAO / DMC Newsletter.
Courtesy of the scholastic journalism team, Department of Media and Communication, XJTLU.