University Information and External Examining Updates

Dear External Examiner, 

I can now confirm that Digital Services have completed the change of access to University of Derby (UoD) accounts for all our External Examiners (EEs).

This will now enable access to all University of Derby systems, such as Blackboard, QMEP etc, and the associated mailbox will become the main point of communication from the External Examiner team and University colleagues. 

As we are progressing through this change:

• For any communications that have already commenced via your current email address (personal/ institutional), including but not exclusive to, the invitations to UoD College Forums, The Central Induction, Assessment Boards and any Reallocation of Duties in progress, teams will continue to use this route until these aspects of EE work are completed.
• All new communications/notifications will be sent to your UoD email address and this will be the standard practice moving forward. 

As an External Examiner, your email format will use your Ment Number (Ment****), that was provided by the University of Derby when you started your tenure. It will be detailed on your initial appointment letter from the external examiner team and is already used as your log in credentials for Blackboard. If you are unsure of your Ment number, please contact externalexaminers@derby.ac.uk to obtain this from us.

The email format will be: ment****@derby.ac.uk

As all automated notifications from UoD systems and emails from colleagues will now be sent to this UoD mailbox, please check this regularly so that access remains consistent throughout your EE duties.   

Please find attached the previous email sent on Thursday the 12th of September, which provides instructions on how to get set up and access UoD systems. 

Firstly, please complete the step below to gain initial access:

1. Set your password
2. Browse to https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com/  
3. Enter your username and the captcha
4. Choose ‘I’ve forgotten my password’
5. Click email, which should then send you a code to your email address
6. Enter this in the portal and then set your new password. You should also get prompted at this point to configure Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). 

We have also been informed by Digital Learning colleagues that there may be an increase in the level of notifications an EE may receive from the new Blackboard Ultra platform; however, this apparently differs across the board.  Please find attached guidance to support you in managing and reducing these notifications. 

Please let us know if you experience any difficulties with access or have any questions at this point, we want to continue to support our EEs effectively and ensure this change is as smooth for you as possible. 

Thank you for your ongoing patience and support.

Dear External Examiner,

Following on from the previous communication on Friday 6th September, where we informed you about the change to UoD External Examiner account setup, we are now providing you with more specific information and guidance relating to this change. 

Mid next week, you will receive a further communication from us, to your current email address, to confirm that the change has taken place and to request that you set your password.  To do this, you should follow the steps outlined below. 

Your Derby username will be in the following format - mentxxxx@derby.ac.uk 

Please be aware, any access to UoD shared locations that have been set up using your current email address, will no longer work following the 17th September.   Access to these shared locations will need to be reshared with your new account details by relevant colleagues within the University.  

From the 17th of September, your UoD mailbox should be used for all communications related to your duties as an External Examiner for the duration of your tenure. 

Set your password 

1. Browse to https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com/
2. Enter your username and the captcha
3. Choose ‘I’ve forgotten my password’
4. Click email, which should then send you a code to your email address
5. Enter this in the portal and then set your new password. You should also get prompted at this point to configure Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). 
    

Set up your MFA 

1. Please read the following guide carefully before commencing the setup of MFA.  We recommend viewing the guide on a PC/laptop: Multi-Factor Authentication guide: https://itservicecentre.derby.ac.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360016964839  
2. Select the relevant option for your verification codes and follow the steps in the guide
3. Please complete click Done/Finish when the above has been done
4. Managing Security Details - https://itservicecentre.derby.ac.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360021027839-Manage-Your-Security-Details-for-Multi-Factor-Authentication-MFA-Student-Guide- 
5. EMERGENCY ACCESS VIA BACK UP DEVICE – REQUIRED. Add another method to allow you to keep access to your account in the event of a change of device, loss or damage: EG: Authenticator app or text codes on another device. We are unable to continually reset your security on your account
6. IMPORTANT: Please do not remove the app or change your device without having a backup option set - this will break access to your account 
    

Access email 

1. In the same web browser, navigate to outlook.office365.com
2. This should auto sign you in if using the same browser session as above 
    

Access to UoD Systems 

Access the Quality Monitoring & Evaluation Platform (QMEP) 

You can access QMEP in 2 ways: 

1. Via the link embedded into the automated email notifications and reminders.
2. By going direct to the app at QMEP and then into the ‘My Tasks’ area. 
    

When asked to ‘Sign in’ you should use your UoD email address and the associated password.   If you experience any difficulty with accessing QMEP, please contact the Quality Monitoring Team. 

Access Blackboard Ultra 

1. In a web browser, navigate to https://courseresources.derby.ac.uk
2. Sign in with the credentials above 
    

Access Microsoft Teams 

1. In your Microsoft Teams app, if you have one click your account name in the top right hand corner
2. Choose ‘add another account’
3. Click ‘Create or use another account’
4. Sign in with your Derby account
5. You can also access teams via a web browser
6. If it is visible launch the app and confirm access. 
    

Turnitin 

If you need to access Turnitin, you may receive an error notification the first time that you do this.  If this occurs, please take a screenshot of the notification and provide this alongside raising a request to the IT Service Centre at https://itservicecentre.derby.ac.uk/hc/en-us/requests/new  
 

Top Tips

Many institutions use Microsoft for authentication, this can cause conflicts in browsers if you have multiple Microsoft accounts being used in the same browser.  

When accessing UoD services via a web browser, we would highly advise you either use a private browser session or create a profile within the browser. 
 
If you create a UoD profile within the browser, and authenticate to UoD services using your Derby account, conflicts with other accounts should not occur because those sessions will be in different profiles. Just remember not to sign into a service with a different account in that profile. 

Please see guidance below on profiles and private browsers. These are Chrome specific, but the process is similar for other browsers. 
 
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2364824?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop  

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop  

With thanks and kind regards.

Dear External Examiner, 

We have previously provided you with information about some exciting developments relating to University of Derby systems such as the move to BlackBoard Ultra and the and the introduction of our new Quality Monitoring & Evaluation Platform (QMEP). 

In order to provide you with seamless access and relevant permissions/licensing to these and other University of Derby systems, it has become necessary to make a change to the way that External Examiner accounts are set up and used.  From 17th September 2024, your account will be enhanced to include an @derby.ac.uk mailbox.  This will allow you to sign into University of Derby systems such as BlackBoard Ultra and QMEP using your University of Derby credentials.  It will also enable you to use your @derby.ac.uk mailbox to send and receive email communications related to your duties as an External Examiner for the duration of your tenure at the University of Derby. 

Benefits: 

• Secure and consistent way for you to access UoD systems 
• Ensures provision of relevant permissions and licensing 
• Avoidance of potential conflict with systems at your own HEI 
• Ability to send and receive email communications relating to your duties as an External Examiner at UoD.  
• Standard approach for all External Examiner correspondence 

A further communication will be sent towards the end of next week to provide you with more specific information and guidance relating to this change. 

We hope that you will welcome this approach and see it as a positive change.  If you have any questions relating to this, please feel free to reply to this email. 

With thanks and kind regards 

Dear External Examiners,

I wanted to share some information with you all, in relation to your tenure here at the University of Derby and your ITS (Information Technology Services) access. 

There have been some ITS changes recently and these have had an impact on how External Examiners gain support with access issues. 

Firstly, please remind yourself of our website to see if you can self serve to overcome any difficulties with logging in to our systems - BlackBoard Access for External Examiners - External Examiners - University of Derby

Secondly, the most significant change is in relation to how you access ITS support. Via the link shared above, you can request support from ITS, this involves submission of a request form: https://itservicecentre.derby.ac.uk/hc/en-us/requests/new . 

The steps for you to complete are outlined on the link shared above; however the most important thing to remember is that when you select an option for "What does your issue relate to" - please ensure you select External Examiners, so that ITS are aware of what guidance to offer.  Subsequently, once an automation has been achieved within ITS, our team will be notified automatically that a request from an External Examiner has been submitted, meaning we can step in promptly to support as required. 

Another important point to remember, when submitting a request, is to include the email address you have access to at that point in time in the "email" field, this will ensure you receive any updates on the issue raised. Also when communicating with ITS, please ensure you are aware and report your MENT number (if you are unsure of this, please contact our team at externalexaminers@derby.ac.uk.

An additional update separate to the above:

Virtual Induction Event

In October we held a University of Derby virtual Induction Event, for those External Examiners that have recently started their tenure with us.  We have added a recording of the event onto our External Examiners webpages so that all of our External Examiners have access.

We hope that you find all of this information useful, please let us know if you have any questions.

Dear External Examiner,

We are writing to provide you with information about the annual report submission for the 2023/24 academic year in relation to your role as External Examiner at the University of Derby.

Annual Report

All External Examiners are required to submit an annual report to the University as part of their appointed duties.  This will usually be after all moderation has been completed and/or attendance at the main Assessment Board.  For example, College Level External Examiners or Programme External Examiners will have been invited (if applicable) to a College Assessment Board by the relevant College Registry Operations team. 

Following a trial during the previous academic year and the subsequent review that was carried out by our team, for the External Examiner reports cycle and submission of 2023/2024 annual reports our standard process will be that where External Examiners have both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes as part of their duties they will be expected to submit separate reports for each level of study.

This will ensure that report submissions are aligned to timelines that are linked more greatly with the final assessment boards for each level of study and will allow External Examiners to submit reports at the most appropriate point, closest to when work has been undertaken.  Programme Leaders are then able to consider comments and identify actions in response to the report in a timelier manner.

For External Examiner Annual reports (2023/24) please use the template on our website under the section Guidance for Completing the Annual Report.

The deadlines for 2023/24 External Examiner reports are:

• Summer Boards – within 1 month of the final Assessment Board or by 1st September at the latest
• Autumn Boards – within 1 month of the final Assessment Board or by 1st December at the latest
• Assessment boards that fall outside of standard time frame – within 4 weeks of the boards taking place
   

Moderation and access to Blackboard 

External Examiners are set up with access to the University of Derby VLE (Blackboard/Blackboard Ultra) and through this, you will be able to view the modules and programmes that you have been allocated as part of your duties as well as accessing samples of assessed student work.  If you are experiencing any challenges our webpage will provide guidance.

The Programme Leader will be able to advise you of the timelines of when moderation will be ready and the deadlines for completion.

For any queries relating to Assessment Boards please contact the relevant College Registry Operations team or Online Programme Services Team:

• AHE - AHE@derby.ac.uk 
• BLSS - BLSS@derby.ac.uk
• HPSC - HPSC@derby.ac.uk
• SE - sande@derby.ac.uk 
• Online - PST@derby.ac.uk 

External Examiner fee

 To receive your External Examiner fee, you will need to:

1. Complete all moderation work requested by the programme team as per your appointed duties.  
2. If you have UG and PG programmes as part of your duties please ensure that moderation has been completed for both levels of study and both reports have been submitted.
3. Submit your Annual Report to ExternalExaminers@derby.ac.uk within 1 month of the Assessment Board (or by 1st September for summer boards; 1st December for the autumn boards)
4. Complete and submit the External Personnel Claim Form for Payroll – using your MENT account number as the "Unique Claim Reference". 
5. We are unable to process your fee until your Annual Report has been received. If you have more than one report to submit, the fee will be processed on receipt of the final report.

HESA Survey

We also request that you please complete the HESA Survey as soon as possible.

HESA is the official agency for the collection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative information about Higher Education in the UK, and the Designated Data Body for England.  Each year, individualised data is collected from the University in respect of all staff who were employed by the University at any time in the previous twelve-month period.  This data includes the personal characteristics of staff.  All uses of personal data collected by HESA are described in the staff collection notice https://www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/notices#staff 

Claiming expenses for in-person visits

There may be some cases where it has been agreed in advance with the Programme team that you will need to arrange to visit the University of Derby e.g. attend a local induction, complete on-site moderation or to attend an Assessment Board/pre-board.

Travel and Accommodation for in-person visits

External Examiners should book their own travel and accommodation in line with the University’s finance regulations and claim the payment back via expenses. The University has standard guidance regarding expense claims in line with University and HMRC guidelines and we suggest that you contact ExternalExaminers@derby.ac.uk for further guidance.  

All expenses claims must be made within 4 months of the work being completed and if it aligns at the same time as submitting your annual report and fee claim.

External Examiner expenses can be claimed by completing the External Personnel Claim Form. 

Any receipts for travel, accommodation and subsistence would need to be emailed to sessional@derby.ac.uk.

The External Examiner team is the main point of contact via ExternalExaminers@derby.ac.uk and we will be able to signpost to the relevant team to resolve any issues that you may be experiencing.  Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to help.

Thank you for all your continued support as an External Examiner.

The External Examiner Team

Centre for Quality Assurance

University of Derby

Dear External Examiners, 

We are writing to you to inform you of some information in relation to two key updates for the 2024/2025 Academic Year. One key change is Blackboard Ultra, a new modern Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) being launched by the University of Derby for the 2024/2025 Academic Year. A further change is the launch of the Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Platform (QMEP), the product of digitising the University of Derby Continual Monitoring process. 

Blackboard Ultra 

The move to ULTRA will provide us with a modern VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) to support our future-fit academic offer, which by design inspires collaboration, connectivity, digital inclusion, and authentic applied learning experiences. 

There has been a phased approach to this launch, an Early Adopters programme ran in semester one and semester two of 2023/24 and focused on a sample of modules, that were being modelled on the new ULTRA platform. With support from the Digital Learning team, these module teams have had the opportunity to design and deliver in the new platform and have provided feedback on pedagogical approaches, usability, structure, and the student learning experience to inform the full roll out to all colleagues for the 2024/25 Academic Year. Some of you may have received an earlier communication about this if the modules that were included in the sample were part of your External Examiner duties. 

All University modules and programmes will be delivered through this platform from September 2024 onwards (May 2024 for modules and programmes delivered online).

Please find attached guides to support you as an External Examiner: The first attachment is for the ULTRA 2023 platform and will be applicable to online modules and programmes from May 2024 and all modules and programmes from September 2024. The second attachment is the original Blackboard guidance for 2023 (for reference).  These guides may be useful to you when trying to undertake your External Examining duties or for liaising with your programme leaders as required. We will be updating our External Examiner webpage in due course to reflect this updated guidance and the move to Blackboard Ultra.

Please access the links below to individual YouTube videos showcasing the benefits of Blackboard Ultra:

• Blackboard Ultra Improved user experience for students - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmWOaea_VzQ&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby
• Blackboard Ultra - Inclusive by design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBuwtAYl_Dc&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby
• Blackboard Ultra - Intuitive and user-friendly platform for academic staff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpljSZq3wMQ&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby
• Blackboard Ultra - Progress Tracking and Analytics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RxMyEnocrM&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby
• Blackboard Ultra - Microsoft Teams integration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs8FVf8b-8k&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby
• Blackboard Ultra - New module template provides clarity and consistency for students - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8IGiGMeRvE&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby

Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Platform (QMEP)

Digitisation of the processes associated with Continual Monitoring is due to be implemented for the 2024-25 Academic Year.  The new Quality Monitoring & Evaluation Platform (QMEP) will become the single location for completion of Assessment Verification (Internal and External) and Moderation of Assessed Student Work (Internal and External).

We will be providing further information and guidance on this in future communications and also via our External Examiner webpage. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team and/or your programme leader.