§ Baroness Finlay of Llandaffasked Her Majesty's Government:
What benefits are gained by the archiving by universities of 25 per cent of written material as laid out in the Quality Assurance Agency's regulations; how much this is costing universities in storage; and how often this material has been re-accessed to ensure standardised marking over time. [HL1557]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)The Quality Assurance Agency is an independent body not under the responsibility of a government Minister. I am advised by the agency that its guidelines state that institutions should consider keeping an archive of samples of students' marked work but do not specify the sample size nor the time it should be kept. This is to enable institutions to evaluate periodically the maintenance and development of their academic standards. We do not hold centrally any information about the cost incurred in storing this material.