Taking into consideration the unique relational position of convenors (Chairs) in PhD oral examinations, this qualitative study explores insights from 55 convenors at a research-intensive university in New Zealand into the ways academic staff developers can better prepare doctoral supervisors and examiners for oral examinations. One striking…

This paper presents questions within a consideration of the nature of doctoral viva examinations from an international viewpoint. We argue that preparation for the viva should begin early - certainly not just immediately after the thesis submission. Key viva questions can be used in a preparatory process with supervisors over time to develop…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Board of Surgery (ABS) shifted from in-person to remote administrations of the oral certifying exam (CE). Although the overall exam architecture remains the same, there are a number of differences in administration and staffing costs, exam content, security concerns, and the tools used to give the…

Field study--in the form of field trips, fieldwork, or field courses--is identified as a core element of geographic education and training (Speights-Binet and Gamble 2009). By involving place-based, active, and experiential learning, field study is cited as an example of a High-Impact Educational Practice. Common assessment products used in field…

Creativity and academic achievement are essential components for high school students' success. Learning creative thinking is uncommon in school largely due to the lack of effective implementation and assessment in classrooms. The problem addressed in this study was high school students' lack of creative thinking as measured by the Torrance Test…

The doctoral defence is the oral examination of the doctoral thesis. While it is a major milestone for doctoral candidates, this event is often shrouded in mystery. In this article, I explore the doctoral defence from an international perspective. I have studied the format of the defence based on written testimonies as well as the literature on…

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated challenges with assessment, especially in online environments that threaten academic integrity. In the wake of the pandemic, faculty in higher education were seeking alternative assessments that meet the assessment goal(s) of their classroom. Even though the COVID-based disruptions are diminishing, higher…

Assessment methods vary widely across undergraduate physiology courses. Here, a cumulative oral examination was administered in two sections of a 300-level undergraduate physiology course. Student performance was quantified via instructor grading using a rubric, and self-perceptions (n = 55) were collected via survey. Overall, students affirmed…

Purpose: Little is known about the impact external Viva examiners coming from the international community of scholars have on the quality of PhD research. This study aims to argue that the encounter between local and international examiners (IEs) is subject to various complexities, raising doubts about whether IEs' participation and approval of…

The doctoral defense is considered to have three dimensions: the scholarly dimension, the emotional (affective) dimension, and the cultural dimension. In this work, I explore the link between sociodemographic factors and students' perception of the doctoral defense to better understand the affective dimension. In particular, I focus on gender,…

Language as a cultural element influences Aboriginal pupils' mathematic performance. This study examines the utility of oral test in native language for computation and word problem mathematics items using score comparability. The sample includes 230 Grade 5 Orang Asli pupils from eight Malaysian primary schools in two states. By employing…

The significance of assessment in driving learning is undeniable, particularly in oral assessments like viva voce where students express themselves verbally. However, traditional viva voce examinations' challenges include reliability, objectivity, content validity, time constraints, varying question difficulty levels, inconsistency in questioning…

This paper addresses three areas. The first is a discussion of the context for doctoral education and the use of vivas across higher education as the assessment method for doctoral education. The second area is a review of the data on submissions for doctoral examination across a post-92 university. The findings of the paper are based on a review…

The oral examination, or the viva voce, is the culmination of the doctoral examination process in many traditions. In these traditions, the chair or convenor facilitates the viva. The idea of convenors is one that has not been discussed at length within the literature of higher education. In this paper, we explore the findings of a qualitative…

Modest correlations between teacher-assigned grades and external assessments of academic achievement (r = 0.40-0.60) have led many educational stakeholders to deem grades subjective and unreliable. However, theoretical and methodological challenges, such as construct misalignment, data unavailability and sample unrepresentativeness, limit the…