{Assessment Validation Tools for Vocational Education and Training within the Australian context -

{Assessment Validation Tools for Vocational Education and Training within the Australian context -

Blog Article

Intro to Validating Assessments for RTOs

Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) manage multiple duties after becoming registered, including yearly reports, AVETMISS reporting, and marketing adherence. Among these tasks, validating assessments is notably challenging. While validation has been reviewed in multiple posts, let's return to the basics. ASQA describes assessment review as quality assurance of the assessment process.

Essentially, assessment validation is focused on identifying which parts of an RTO’s evaluation 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 2015 Standards for RTOs, RTOs must ensure their assessment systems, including RPL, meet the training package requirements and are conducted according to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

The rules mandate two forms of validation. The first type of assessment validation checks conformity with the training package assessment requirements within your RTO's scope. The subsequent validation guarantees that assessments are conducted according to the principles of assessment and rules of evidence. This implies that validation is carried out pre- and post-assessment. This article will focus on the first type—assessment tool validation.

What are the Two Types of Assessment Validation?

- Assessment Tool Validation: Also called pre-assessment validation or verification, concerns the first part of the rule, focusing on compliance with all unit requirements.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Involves the execution, ensuring that RTO assessments align with the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

Process of Conducting Assessment Tool Validation

Timing for Assessment Tool Validation

The goal of validating assessment tools is to verify that all aspects, performance criteria, and performance and knowledge evidence are covered by your evaluation tools. Therefore, whenever you obtain new training materials, you must conduct assessment tool validation prior to student use. There's no need to wait for your next scheduled validation. Review new tools as soon as possible to ensure they are suitable for student use.

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

- Modify your resources
- Add new training products on scope
- Compare your course with training product updates
- Spot your learning resources as a risk during your risk assessment

ASQA uses a risk-based approach for regulating RTOs and requires regular risk assessments. Therefore, student complaints about learning resources are an ideal time to conduct assessment tool validation.

What Training Products Need Validation?

Keep in mind that this validation ensures conformity of all learning resources before being used. All RTOs must validate materials for each subject unit.

Necessary Resources for Assessment Tool Validation

To validate your assessment tools, you will need the complete set of your educational resources:

- Mapping Tool: The first document to review. It shows which assessment tasks meet course unit requirements, assisting in faster validation.
- Student Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an assessment resource during validation. Check if instructions are clear and response areas are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Marking Guide: Also ensure if guidelines for evaluators are sufficient and if clear standards for each assessment task are provided. Clear criteria are crucial for reliable assessment outcomes.
- Other Related Resources: These may include checklists, registers, and evaluation templates designed separately from the student workbook and evaluation guide. Validate these to ensure they fit the assessment activity and meet course unit requirements.

Panel for Validation

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

Collectively, your panel must have:

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

Principles Guiding Assessment

- Impartiality: Is the assessment process fair and equitable for all candidates?
- Versatility: Does the assessment offer various options to demonstrate competence based on different needs and preferences?
- Relevance: Does the assessment evaluate what it is intended to evaluate?
- Reliability: Are the assessment results consistent regardless of who conducts the training?

Rules of Evidence

- Validity: Is the evidence relevant to the skills, knowledge, and attributes described in the unit of competency?
- Sufficiency: Is the evidence sufficient to cover all the required skills and knowledge?
- Authenticity: Does the evidence confirm the originality of the candidate's work?
- Relevance: Does the evidence reflect current skills and knowledge?

Important Factors in Assessment Validation

Pay attention to the action words in the unit requirements and ensure they are addressed by the assessment item. For example, in the unit CHCECE032 Baby and Toddler Care, one performance evidence requirement asks students to:

- Change nappies
- Prepare bottles, bottle feed babies and clean equipment
- Prepare and give solid food to babies
- Respond to baby signs and cues properly
- Prepare and settle babies for sleep
- Observe and promote suitable physical activities and motor skills for babies

Common Pitfalls

Having students describe the nappy-changing process for babies under 12 months old doesn’t directly meet the unit requirement. Unless the unit criteria is meant to assess underpinning knowledge (i.e., knowledge evidence), students should be doing the tasks.

Watch Out for the Plurals!

Pay attention to the numbers. In our example, one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032 Baby and Toddler Care calls for the students to complete the tasks at least check here 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 enumerated tasks. As mentioned earlier, if students only complete half the tasks, it’s non-compliant. Each assessment item must meet all specifications, or the student is not competent, and the assessment tool is non-compliant.

Can You Be More Specific?

Each assessment task must have clear and specific reference answers to guide the assessor’s evaluation on the student’s competence. Therefore, it’s crucial that your guidelines do not baffle students or evaluators.

Steer Clear of Double-Barrelled Questions

Not using double-barrelled questions makes it easier for students to respond and for evaluators to accurately assess student competence.

Audit Guarantees

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 preventative and compliant approach.

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