{Tools for Assessment Validation for Vocational Education Bodies across the Australian context —

{Tools for Assessment Validation for Vocational Education Bodies across the Australian context —

Blog Article

Overview of Assessment Validation

Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are responsible for various responsibilities following registration, like annual statements, AVETMISS compliance, and promotional compliance. Among these tasks, validation of assessments is particularly challenging. While validation has been reviewed in many articles, let's return to the basics. ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) defines validation of assessments as granular review of the assessment process.

Fundamentally, validation of assessments is aimed at identifying which parts of an RTO's assessment process are effective and which need improvement. With a proper grasp of its key aspects, validation becomes less daunting. According to Clause 1.8 of the Standards for RTOs 2015, RTOs must ensure their assessment systems, including RPL, adhere to the training package requirements and are conducted according to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

The standards specify two types of validation. The primary type of validation of assessments ensures compliance with the requirements of the training package within your organisation's scope. The other type ensures that assessments adhere to the principles of assessment and rules of evidence. This implies that validation is carried out pre- and post-assessment. This article will discuss the first type—assessment tool validation.

Differentiating Assessment Validation Types

- Assessment Tool Validation: Also called pre-assessment validation or verification, relates to the primary part of the clause, ensuring meeting all unit requirements.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Concerns the implementation, ensuring that RTO assessments align with the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

Methods for Conducting Assessment Tool Validation

Scheduling Assessment Tool Validation

The goal of assessment tool validation is to ensure that all components, criteria for performance, and performance and knowledge evidence are covered by your assessment tools. Therefore, whenever you get new educational resources, you must perform assessment tool validation before students use them. There's no need to wait for your next five-year validation cycle. Review new tools right away to confirm they are suitable for student use.

Nevertheless, this isn't the only time to perform this type of validation. Perform assessment tool validation also when you:

- Enhance your resources
- Add new qualifications to scope
- Check your course against training product updates
- Identify your learning resources as a risk during your risk assessment

The Australian Skills Quality Authority employs a risk-based approach for regulating RTOs and expects regular risk assessments. Therefore, student complaints about learning resources are an ideal time to conduct assessment tool validation.

Training Products Requiring Validation

Remember that this validation ensures conformity of all training materials before being used. All RTOs must validate resources for each unit.

Resources Needed to Start Assessment Tool Validation

To start assessment tool validation, you will need the complete set of your educational resources:

- Mapping Document: The first document to review. It indicates which assessment items meet unit requirements, helping with faster validation.
- Student Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an assessment tool during validation. Check if directions are clear and answer fields are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Marking Guide: Also verify if guidelines for assessors are sufficient and if clear standards for each assessment task are provided. Clear benchmarks are crucial for reliable assessment results.
- Additional Resources: These may include evaluation checklists, registers, and forms designed separately from the student workbook and marking guide. Validate these to ensure they match the assessment task and address unit requirements.

Assessment Validation Panel

Clause 1.11 specifies the requirements for members of the validation panel. It states assessment validation can be performed by one or more people. However, RTOs usually ask all educators and assessors to participate, sometimes including field experts.

Collectively, your assessment validation panel must have:

- Vocational Competencies and Up-to-date Industry Skills relevant to the validated unit.
- Updated Knowledge and Skills in Vocational Training.
- Either of the following training and assessment credentials:
- TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor.

Principles of Assessment

- Equity: Is equal opportunity and access provided to everyone in the assessment process?
- Adaptability: Does the assessment offer various options to demonstrate competence based on different needs and preferences?
- Validity: Does the assessment evaluate what it is intended to evaluate?
- Consistency: Will the assessment produce consistent results every time?

Rules of Evidence

- Validity: Is the evidence appropriate to the requirements of the unit of competency?
- Completeness: Does the evidence adequately demonstrate the required skills and knowledge?
- Genuineness: Does the evidence confirm the originality of the candidate's work?
- Currency: Are the assessment tools based on current units of competency and up-to-date industry practices?

Key Considerations for Assessment Validation

Pay attention to the tasks in the unit requirements and ensure they are addressed by the assessment task. For example, in the unit CHCECE032 Caring for Babies and Toddlers, one performance evidence requirement asks students to:

- Change diapers
- Prepare and feed bottles, clean feeding equipment
- Prepare solid food and feed babies
- Respond appropriately to baby signs and cues
- Prepare babies for sleep and help them settle
- Supervise and support age-appropriate physical activities and motor development

Typical Mistakes

Asking students to describe the nappy-changing process for babies under 12 months old does not meet the unit requirement. Unless the unit requirement is meant to evaluate underlying knowledge (i.e., knowledge evidence), students should be carrying out the tasks.

Be Careful with Plurals!

Pay attention to the frequency. In our example, one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers calls for the students to complete the tasks at least once on two different babies under 12 months of age. Having students complete the tasks listed twice on just one baby does not fulfill the requirement.

Full Competence or Not Competent

Pay attention to lists. As mentioned earlier, if students do not complete all the tasks listed, it’s non-compliant. Each evaluation task must cover all criteria, or the student is not competent, and the assessment method is out of compliance.

Can You Be More Specific?

Each assessment item must have clear and specific benchmark answers to guide the evaluator’s decision on the student’s competence. Therefore, read more it’s crucial that your guidelines do not confuse students or assessors.

Double-Barrelled Questions: Avoid Them

Not using double-barrelled questions makes it simpler for students to respond and for assessors to accurately evaluate student competence.

Ensuring Audit Compliance

Considering these requirements, you might wonder, “Don't resource developers provide audit guarantees?” However, with these assurances, you must wait for an audit before they help rectify noncompliance. This influences your compliance status, so it's better to take a proactive and compliant approach.

By following these guidelines and understanding the assessment principles and rules of evidence, you can ensure that your assessment tools are valid with the standards established by ASQA and the SRTOs 2015.