E-Network Assessors Community Services

This network is for VET professionals interested in exploring e-assessment in a teaching and learning environment. The network aims to support practitioners in sharing ideas and resources involved with managing an online bank of assessment tools for the area of Community Services. This network will explore models, systems and tools for supporting the exchanging of ideas related to online assessment

The group will identify available e-assessment tools that could be implemented in a variety of contexts. This includes classroom based, in the workplace and distance. The network will arrange online demonstrations from members and experts. Online discussions will include research by members of case studies and ideas from organisations who are using e-assessment approaches. An opportunity to experiment with tools will provide practitioners with experience to enable them to incorporate the tools within the current teaching practices. The aim will be to build a network of motivated and interested practitioners that will enable the sharing of innovative e-assessment concepts, ideas and experiences. This network will engage in e-learning and participate in knowledge sharing activities. Reflection and discussion will be supported by a network Blog that will provide information on tools, events and discussions and provides the opportunity to add comments by the network and other interested practitioners.

Join Here

Links

Vocational Education and Assessment Centre

http://www.veac.org.au/astabout.html

The Vocational Education and Assessment Centre's website has some excellent information, guidelines and resources to assist you with competency-based assessment.

Department of Education,

Science and Training AQTF Standard 9 -

Learning and Assessment Strategies

Click Here

Here you can read through Standard 9 of the AQTF guidelines for Registered Training Organisations, which outlines the requirements for an Registered Training Organisation in relation to learning and assessment strategies.

Teaching Models

http://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/id/models/

Teaching models prescribe tested steps and procedures to effectively generate desired outcomes. This Virginia Tech website describes a range of teaching and training models with links to further information on and examples of each one.

Learning Styles Online

http://www.learning-styles-online.com

Learning styles are a way to help improve your quality of learning. By understanding your own personal styles, you can adapt the learning process and techniques you use. The Learning Styles Online website is dedicated to helping you better understand learning styles, including a Learning Styles Inventory, to assist with the planning of your training delivery.

"From Rowdy Crowd to Effective Team"

http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9708/border.htm

Notes on group behaviour, rapport, trust and etiquette relating to group-based learning.

"Designing, delivering and assessing group-based training

Click Here

This website from The Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne has some excellent information relating to the design, delivery and assessment of group-based training.

Collaborative Learning

http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1/CL/default.asp

From the Wisconsin (US) Centre for Education Research, this "Collaborative Learning" section of their website has loads of interesting articles, hints, tips and strategies to help you get the most out of group-based training delivery.

Master Teaching Series - Active Learning Strategies

http://www.accd.edu/spc/iic/master/active.htm

This site explains the theory behind active learning and offers some strategies and activities you could use to incorporate active learning into your training delivery.

Learning Styles and why they are important

http://flexways.flexibleLearning.net.au/learning/index.asp

This site explores a range of learning styles and their relevance to the VET environment. It includes an online learning style self-evaluation.

E-games

Reference: ANTA (2005) Training and Assessment Toolbox Series 6

Faculty Responsiblities

To satisfy the requirements of the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) standard 9.2. the Faculty Community Services South Western Sydney Institute TAFE NSW will maintain records of the validation processes that occurs. The records also satisfies the SWSI TAFE NSW Assessment Validation Policy.

The Faculty Director Community Services has overall responsibility for the Assessment Validation processes for the Faculty of Community Services.

For 2005-2006 NAVAL have developed a Faculty Assessment Validation Action Plan and have prioritised the actions for the forthcoming year.

A Section Assessment Validation Action Plan is to be completed at the beginning of the Assessment Validation process. This may be completed at the beginning of the semester year. It details the plan and documents the Competencies that will be validated throughout the year. This is to be forwarded to the Faculty once completed.

The Assessment Validation Audit Checklist is to be completed at the end of the semester year. This documents the planning and improvements that have been undertaken by the teaching sections. This is to be forwarded to the Faculty once completed.

NAVAL

NAVAL is the Network of Assessment Validation Assessor Leaders for the Faculty. The network has representation from sections of the Faculty and are lead assessors that meet monthly to evaluate, develop and implement strategies for managing assessment validation within the Faculty. This topic provides an overview of the responsibilities and activities of this group of lead assessors.

NAVAL is about ensuring consistency in assessment. The aim of NAVAL is to work towards a goal of achieving competency based assessment processes, tools and decisions that are of a high quality across the Faculty of Community Services, South Western Sydney Institute TAFE NSW. NAVAL is also about ensuring that the assessment system is fair for all the students who study with us.

To ensure a consistent assessment approach, NAVAL is a team of lead assessors who support assessors to assess learners against units of competence (modules) in different contexts and provide support for making comparable assessment decisions.

NAVAL provides a model for consistency in assessment in assisting assessors to share a common understanding of the evidence requirements of the units of competence (modules) they are assessing. The principal process for ensuring this common understanding is for the lead assessors to meet and confer with assessors who are assessing

NAVAL meets monthly and are noted on the SWSI calendar so you may view the agenda and minutes of all meetings.

The current Action Plan is:

To implement and evaluate assessment validation templates and procedures

To implement and evaluate assessment tools bank

To implement assessment validation professional development plan

The Teaching Section

As part of a teaching section you may participate in assessment validation activities. Examples of evidence that demonstrate validation has taken place include:

• records of meetings where validation is covered (agendas, minutes, action plans)
• feedback from clients (learner and/or employer satisfaction surveys: notes recording feedback from face-to-face or telephone interviews)
• records of benchmark activities
• records of professional development activities that focus on improving assessment strategies
• examples of documents used in reviewing, comparing and evaluating tools

Discussion during and outcomes from these meetings should be documented and the minutes should include:

• findings
• recommendations
• timelines of actions required
• areas of responsibility (including who)
• specific improvements required
• any support required or identified

Discussions for Assessment Validation meetings could include:

• compliance with the Training Package or accredited course requirements
• ability to meet the needs of a diverse range of learners
• language, literacy and numeracy requirements
• validity, reliability, sufficiency, fairness and flexibility
• underpinning skills and knowledge
• consideration of the cultural and linguistic needs of all learners
• inclusion of version control details
• details of the National unit/qualification code and title, for the unit/ module being assessed

To assist with the Assessment Validation process within teaching sections the following documents are provided:

Faculty Community Services Section Assessment Validation Checklist

The Assessment Validation Checklist is to be completed when validating assessments. This ensures that the principles for meeting the AQTF standards are considered and that the judgements made are documented. These records are to be kept in the section.

A Section Assessment Validation Action Plan is to be completed at the beginning of the Assessment Validation process. This may be completed at the beginning of the semester year. It details the plan and documents the competencies (or modules) that will be validated throughout the year. This is to be forwarded to the Faculty Community Services at the beginning of each year.

The Assessment Validation Audit Checklist is to be completed at the end of the semester year. This documents the planning and improvements that have been undertaken by the teaching sections. This is to be forwarded to the Faculty once completed.

Record keeping

Assessment records must be maintained for each learner/ for a minimum of two years and be readily accessible for audit purposes. Keep the records in a secure filing cabinet for 6 months following the assessment, then move the files into storage where they remain for the remainder of the two-year period and are eventually archived.

Uploading electronically assessment tools for use can be achieved through the EKB (Education Knowledge Bank) available through the SWSI intranet.

The Learner

The Learner
Assessment validation is about making the assessment process transparent and fair to all learners.
The trainer or assessor should try and give a consistent message about the way each learner will be assessed. To assist you in consistency the following documents have been developed:
Criteria against which the student’s performance will be assessed are explained to the student.
Assessment method, process and documentation have been explained to the student. (eg submitting evidence for assessment)
· Assessment method, process and documentation have been explained to the student. (eg submitting evidence for assessment)
· Criteria against which the student’s performance will be assessed are explained to the student
· Student assessment guides (CIS document) provided and is signed for by the student
· Right to appeal assessment decision has been explained to the student.
· Confidentiality of assessment outcome has been explained.
· Reasonable adjustment has been explained to student.
· Assessment conditions are detailed eg due date, time, format references, etc
Reporting to the learner
The trainer or assessor is required to provide feedback to the learner about the outcomes of the assessment process, and provide guidance for any future options. It's important to ensure that this feedback:
describes in specific terms the candidate's performance against the relevant competency standards
addresses the dimensions of competency and the key competencies
offers information about re-assessment where relevantRecording learner results
Reporting procedures need to be followed with recording marks in rolls (this can be either CLAMS or roll books). To assist with this the following documents are available:Reference: ANTA (2005) Training and Assessment Toolbox Series 6

Developing Assessment Tools

One of the responsibilities is to develop assessment tools. The assessment principles state that assessment should be valid, reliable, fair, flexible and cost effective. These relate to how you develop your assessment strategy, the choice of tools, your understanding and incorporation of the learner's needs, and how you map the assessment to the competencies.

Competency-based assessment is very different to any other type of assessment. The specific skills and knowledge are assessed against specific performance criteria found in the competency standards.
To be deemed as competent, learners must demonstrate their competence against the elements (learning outcomes) within the applicable competency standards (modules). As an assessor you can use one or a combination of each of the following types:

Formative assessment

This type of assessment takes place over a period of learning or practice. It is a supportive format that is designed to give learners appropriate feedback about how well they are doing over a period of time. This feedback assists in guiding future efforts and enables you to identify when the candidate may be ready for the assessment to be conducted. An example includes a test. The following form is a guide that can assist if you were developing a formative assessment.

Summative assessment

This type of assessment is designed to formally rank learners, usually at the end of a topic with a decision being made as to whether the performance criteria has been met.

This type of assessment can be done through:

Observation

The most valuable way of collecting evidence is through observation. You can do this through:

• demonstration
• simulation
• role play
• video

Whenever you are using the observation method, you should use an observation checklist so that you can take notes of what you're observing during the assessment and refer to these notes later when making the assessment decision.

Questioning

Questioning is an important part of the assessment process, not only to help you assess underpinning knowledge and key competencies, but also to clarify or seek additional information during the assessment process . You can ask questions:

• during a demonstration as long as it is not disruptive
• during training to support understanding
• at the end of training
• in the form of a written or oral test

Product and/or process

A final product and/or process that candidates complete is an excellent way to prove competency. However, it is not always easy to do. Here are some things you can use to help you gather evidence.

• portfolio of evidence
• a structured interview
• a third party report
• a sample of a finished product

Skills Recognition

This a process where the assessor recognises that the learner obtained competencies through previous training, work experience or life experiences. the following information will assist you in determining the criteria to gather the evidence to assess competence.

Asessment Validation Process

Assessment Process

Assessment is the process of collecting evidence and judging whether competency has been achieved.

The assessment process includes:

• plan the assessment
• conduct the assessment
• review the assessment

This is an overview of the Faculty Community Services SWSI assessment validation process.

Rules of Evidence

There are six rules of evidence:

Firstly, the evidence must be valid . This means that it must demonstrate what it claims to. For example, if a learner presented you with evidence of their skills in nappy changing to demonstrate competence in producing a business document, that evidence would not be valid.

Next, evidence must be authentic , meaning that you must be sure the evidence is the learner's own work. This is easier to do in a situation where you can see the person producing the work - for example, during a demonstration. However, in a skills recognition scenario or if you're using a third party report, you will need to be able to contact witnesses, like workplace supervisors, to verify that examples provided are authentic.

It is essential that evidence is consistent - i.e., representative of a period of time rather than one specific instance. So evidence provided, via a portfolio for example, should show a consistent standard over an appropriate time frame. You can use dates on portfolio items to help reference this.

There must be sufficient evidence - enough volume of evidence to be able to make an accurate assessment. So one or two work samples would not be regarded as sufficient. However, those same work samples combined with assessor observation, witness testimony and some questioning or process demonstrations will allow a much more accurate assessment to be made.

How current the evidence is in the fifth rule. Evidence provided must be recent enough to prove that the learner has up to date skills in the competencies being assessed. Currency may vary across industry areas, so some judgement is required. For example, multimedia is a rapidly changing industry with new technology being used all the time, so a person's competency in that area would need to be extremely current.

Finally, is the evidence reliable ? Has it come from a reliable and verifiable source? Your evidence should be from someone who has technical knowledge of the job role and be able to demonstrate an ethical and appropriate relationship to the learner.

Role of the Assessor/Teacher

The following notes provides information to support part time and full time teachers who are assessors participating in assessment validation. Lets start with an overview of what needs to be validated.

1. Assessment process

Validating assessment procedures focuses on examining and comparing how assessments are planned, conducted and reviewed. It includes identifying different purposes for assessment, examining the roles and responsibilities of people involved in the assessment process.

This includes:

• enrolment
• assessment
• recording
• reporting
• appeal process

2. Assessment Tools

Validating assessment tools focuses upon examining and comparing the tools used in planning, conducting and reviewing assessments. This includes identifying and evaluating the assessment instruments and tools used to collect and record evidence of competence against specific units of competence. This process allows you to look at how assessment tools are identified and developed; what strategies are used to trial them; and whether these assessment tools are appropriate for gathering valid, sufficient, current, authentic and consistent evidence of competence.

This includes:

• specific assessment tasks
• instructions for learners
• instructions for Assessors
• evidence Guide Checklists
• assessment criteria
• rules of judgement
• examples of acceptable responses
• description of typical competent performance

3. Validating the Evidence

Validating assessment evidence focuses upon examining samples of the actual evidence of competence gathered by and presented to assessors. Validation involves examining how and whether the evidence examples match the evidence requirements of the units of competence being assessed. One way this can be done is by establishing model assessment evidence responses (exemplars) as benchmarks for evaluating evidence samples.

This includes;

• third party evidence
• simulation
• direct or Indirect in the Workplace

Overview of Assessment Validation

Validation is an important process that forms part of an assessment quality assurance system. Assessment validation processes are a very supportive mechanism for confirming professional judgement, and they provide the opportunity for professional exchange as well as continuous improvement.

More specifically, standard 9.2 of the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) states that an RTO must validate its assessment strategies at least annually. To comply with this standard, RTOs must also 'document any action taken to improve the quality and consistency of assessment'.

Assessment validation is when assessors meet to compare and evaluate assessment methods, assessment procedures and assessment decisions. The goal of assessment validation is to ensure that assessment is valid, reliable and fair; and that decisions about competence are made on the basis of sufficient and appropriate evidence.

The aim of assessment validation is to:

• monitor and compare assessment processes and assessment decisions
• examine and compare examples of evidence submitted for assessment
• compare and evaluate assessment methods and tools
• develop assessment exemplars (model examples)

Examples of assessment validation strategies include:

• meetings, where groups of assessors have the opportunity to compare and discuss their assessment processes
• the use of external assessment panels or teams of assessors
• benchmarking exercises with other organisations to compare assessment processes, and practices
• the use of common assessment tasks by a number of assessors

It is suggested that assessors aim to meet at least twice during the cycle of the course delivery and assessment. This may be once early in the year to discuss assessment tasks, tools and evidence guides, and once later in the year after assessments have been conducted, to look at performances and assessment judgements.

Validation before assessment concentrates on:

• the design of the assessment activities
• the evidence guides and assessment tools
• the benchmarks against which learner performance is to be assessed

Validation during assessment looks at the actual assessment as it's being undertaken by a learner, as well as the assessor's performance during the assessment.

Validation after assessment has a focus on:

• the assessment task and the assessment process
• the candidate's performance
• the assessment decision that has been made
• reporting and record keeping procedures

Reference: ANTA (2005) Training and Assessment Toolbox Series 6

Click Here to find e-games

Getting Started with Assessment Validation

What is NAV? NAV (Navigating Assessment Validation) is a CD Rom that provides teachers and assessors with tools to support assessment and the assessment validation process. We are now trying to share this on a blog.
Who can use NAV? NAV can be used by all assessors and can be easily customised to meet local needs of assessors and teaching sections.

How can NAV be used? NAV provides tools and resources that can help support assessment decisions and provides easily customisable documents to help with the reporting of assessment validation.

What are the copyright conditions? These materials have been developed by NAVAL (Network of Assessment Validation Assessors Leaders TAFE NSW SWSI).

It would be appreciated if we are mentioned in any materials you may develop incorporating the concepts or ideas mentioned in this resource.

For Further Information Contact:

Joanne Fuller joanne.fuller@tafensw.edu.au