Applications are invited from eligible candidates for the PhD opportunity below.
Project title: Modern methods for detecting examiner bias in naturalistic assessment data
Background:
This project aims to extend recent methodology involving hypothesis tests for detecting examiner bias to more naturalistic cases in which non-parametric assessment data cannot readily be Normalized and data may be categorical or sample sizes small. The successful candidate will have access to a rich and ongoing large database of examinee ratings for undergraduate medical students, commencing from 2001. This will facilitate the application of bootstrapping and Monte Carlo techniques to examine hypothesis test robustness and enhance the derivation of new approaches to obtaining associated confidence intervals. The research will apply specifically to cases where student scripts are double-marked, with one examiner having prior knowledge of student performance in a separate but related assessment. An emphasis will be placed on distinguishing between natural tendencies of individual students to perform well or poorly overall and consistency in perceived
performance influenced by examiner bias. The research outcomes will therefore be of relevance across a wide range of disciplines where double marking is viewed as a reputable procedure for enhancing score reliability. Additionally, these outcomes will inform existing methodologies for detecting halo and horn effects within the more general literature on examiner bias. The final phase of the project will involve a more qualitative component requiring management of focus group sessions, with examiners as participants. The findings from this component will be used to explore the underlying sociocultural mechanisms which lead to halo and horn effects. This will in turn help to address the more philosophical issue of the extent to which such effects ought to be modelled as measurement error when estimating score reliability.
Further project details are available at:
http://www.chs.med.ed.ac.uk/education/docs/CMVM_Studentship_2012_13/Modern%20methods%20for%20detecting%20examiner%20bias%20in%20naturalistic%20assessment%20data.pdf
If you wish to discuss this particular project in more detail, please contact me by email ([log in to unmask]) in the first instance.
Best wishes
Margaret MacDougall
General instructions on appling are provided below. Timetable
Application closing date - 9 January 2012
Selection interviews - w/c 23 January 2012
Start date - Sept/Oct 2012
Eligibility/Funding
We have 1 scholarship on offer which is Home Fee (UK/EU) tuition rates only. Benefits include an annual stipend of approx. £13,590 per academic year (the rate for 2012/13 has not yet been confirmed), payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate and payment of bench fees.
*Please note that applications from overseas students are welcome but individuals would be responsible for covering the remaining funds for the studentship themselves.*
All benefits are subject to satisfactory annual reviews of progress.
Qualifications
Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a good postgraduate degree (with an overall average of at least 60%), or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject. More specific qualifications are detailed in each project.
Application process:
When applying for PhD opportunities, please send or e-mail the following:
1. Covering letter explaining which project (s) you are applying for and why interested in the topic
2. Research proposal
3. Curriculum Vitae
4. Full academic transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate; interim transcripts are acceptable if currently on programme)
5. 2 Academic References
6. Proof of Language Results, if applicable
All documentation should be sent to:
Maggie Luttrell
Postgraduate Administrator
Centre for Population Health Sciences
University of Edinburgh
Teviot Place
Edinburgh, EH8 9AG
United Kingdom
Or by email to: [log in to unmask]
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