Rutherford, Stephen  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5572-8854, Pritchard, Constance ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8127-0970, Kay, William, Nelson, Larissa, Shaw, Hannah and Francis, Nigel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4706-4795
2026.
Marking the markers: evaluating the potential of professional development through collaborative marking circles.
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
10.1042/ETLS20253033
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Abstract
This case study details a 3-day ‘marking circle’ activity where six academics, who co-author this case study, with varied lengths of experience collaboratively marked 25 undergraduate bioscience essays. Observations from this activity, discussed in a focus group, highlighted a significant tension: while the process was too time-consuming to be a sustainable method for routine marking, it was an extremely valuable and enjoyable professional development exercise. The activity revealed substantial inconsistencies between markers, with mark variations often exceeding 20%. In a focus group discussion between the markers, these discrepancies were attributed to several elements: procedural, structural, personal and experiential factors that led to different decisions between the markers when assigning numerical grades. This case study proposes a streamlined, two-stage model to harness the activity's developmental benefits in a more time-efficient manner: first, using a small group to pilot and refine a rubric, and second, using the refined rubric in a wider-scale professional development context.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Published Online |
| Status: | In Press |
| Schools: | Schools > Biosciences |
| Subjects: | L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education |
| Publisher: | Portland Press |
| ISSN: | 2397-8554 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 25 February 2026 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 17 February 2026 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Feb 2026 12:46 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185256 |
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