{Assessment Validation Process for VET Providers in the Australian context :

{Assessment Validation Process for VET Providers in the Australian context :

Blog Article

Overview of Assessment Validation

Registered Training Organisations manage many duties after becoming registered, including yearly declarations, AVETMISS reporting, and advertising compliance. Among these tasks, validating assessments is particularly challenging. While we've discussed validation in several articles, let's revisit the fundamental principles. ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) describes validation of assessments as a quality review of the assessment process.

Primarily, validation of assessments is concerned with 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, meet 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 assessment validation checks conformity with the requirements of the training package within your RTO's scope. The subsequent validation verifies that assessments adhere to the principles of assessment and Rules of Evidence. This indicates that we perform validation in both pre- and post-assessment stages. This article will focus on the primary type—validation of assessment tools.

Two Types of Assessment Validation

- Assessment Tool Validation: Commonly called pre-assessment validation or verification, is concerned with the first part of the rule, ensuring meeting all unit requirements.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Relates to the implementation, confirming that RTO assessments follow the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

How to Conduct Assessment Tool Validation

Best Time for Conducting Assessment

The purpose of validating assessment tools is to verify that all aspects, criteria for performance, and evidence of performance and knowledge are included by your assessment methods. Therefore, whenever you obtain new learning resources, you must conduct assessment tool validation before allowing students to use them. There's no need to wait for your next five-year validation cycle. Review new materials immediately to verify they are suitable for student use.

Nevertheless, this isn't the only occasion to do this type of validation. Perform validation of assessment tools also when you:

- Enhance your resources
- Introduce new training products on scope
- Examine your course with training product updates
- Flag 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.

Training Products Requiring Validation

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

Resources Needed to Start Assessment Tool Validation

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

- Mapping Document: The first document to review. It shows which assessment tasks meet subject requirements, assisting in faster validation.
- Student Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an assessment resource during validation. Check if guidelines are clear and answer fields are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Assessor Guide: Also verify if instructions for trainers are sufficient and if clear criteria for each evaluation item are provided. Clear standards are crucial for reliable assessment outcomes.
- Additional Resources: These may include checklists, evaluation registers, and forms created separately from the workbook and evaluation guide. Validate these to ensure they suit the assessment task and meet unit requirements.

Validation Panel

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

Collectively, your panel must have:

- Workplace 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.

Assessment Principles

- Equity: Is equal opportunity and access provided to everyone in the assessment process?
- Flexibility: Is the assessment adaptable to different needs and preferences of candidates?
- Accuracy: Is the assessment relevant to the skills and knowledge it aims to evaluate?
- Consistency: Will the assessment produce consistent results every time?

Guidelines for Evidence

- Relevance: Does the evidence demonstrate that the candidate has the skills, knowledge, and attributes described in the unit of competency and associated assessment requirements?
- Adequacy: Is the evidence sufficient to cover all the required skills and knowledge?
- Genuineness: Does the assessment tool verify that website the work is the candidate’s own?
- Timeliness: Does the evidence reflect current skills and knowledge?

Key Considerations for Assessment Validation

Pay attention to the action words in the unit specifications and ensure they are addressed by the evaluation task. For example, in the unit CHCECE032 Baby and Toddler Care, one performance criteria asks students to:

- Perform diaper changes
- Prepare and feed bottles, clean feeding equipment
- Prepare and give solid food to babies
- Respond to baby signs and cues properly
- Prepare and settle babies for sleep
- Monitor and encourage age-appropriate physical exploration and gross motor skills

Frequent Errors

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

Be Careful with Plurals!

Pay attention to the quantities. In our example, one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032 Baby and Toddler Care requires 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.

All or Not Competent

Pay attention to lists. As mentioned earlier, if students only complete half the tasks, it’s non-compliant. Each assessment item must cover all requirements, or the student is not yet competent, and the assessment method is not compliant.

Can You Be More Specific?

Each assessment task must have clear and specific standard answers to guide the evaluator’s decision on the student’s competence. Therefore, it’s crucial that your instructions do not mislead students or trainers.

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 assist with noncompliance. This affects your compliance history, so it's better to take a proactive 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 requirements set by ASQA and the SRTOs 2015.