Intro to Assessment Validation
Registered Training Organisations manage various tasks post-registration, which include annual statements, AVETMISS reporting, and advertising compliance. Among these tasks, assessment validation is notably challenging. While validation has been covered in multiple posts, let's revisit the fundamental principles. ASQA identifies assessment validation as a quality review of the assessment procedure.
At its core, assessment validation is intended to identify which parts of an RTO’s assessment methods 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 rules mandate two forms of validation. The first type of assessment review guarantees adherence to 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 indicates that validation is carried out pre- and post-assessment. This article will focus on the first type—validation of assessment tools.
Exploring the Types of Assessment Validation
- Assessment Tool Validation: Also called pre-assessment validation or verification, involves the primary part of the clause, aimed at meeting all unit requirements.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Concerns the conduct, verifying that RTOs conduct assessments according to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.
Steps to Conduct Assessment Tool Validation
When Should Assessment Tool Validation Be Conducted?
The aim of assessment tool validation is to verify that all aspects, performance standards, and performance and knowledge evidence are included by your assessment methods. Therefore, whenever you obtain new learning resources, you must conduct validation of assessment tools before students use them. There's no need to wait for your next 5-year cycle validation schedule. Check new tools as soon as possible to confirm they are fit for student use.
Nevertheless, this isn't the only time to do this type of validation. Perform assessment tool validation also when you:
- Improve your resources
- Introduce new training products on scope
- Audit your course with training product updates
- Detect 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.
Selecting Training Products for Validation
Bear in mind that this validation guarantees adherence of all learning resources before use. All RTOs must validate materials for each course unit.
Necessary Resources for Assessment Tool Validation
To start assessment tool validation, you will need the complete set of your educational resources:
- Mapping Resource: The first document to review. It shows which assessment items meet unit requirements, assisting in faster validation.
- Learner Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an evaluation tool during validation. Check if instructions are clear and input fields are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Assessor Guide: Also ensure if directions for assessors are sufficient and if clear criteria for each assessment task are provided. Clear benchmarks are crucial for reliable assessment outcomes.
- Supplementary Resources: These may include evaluation checklists, registers, and templates developed separately from the workbook and assessor guide. Validate these to ensure they suit the assessment task and address subject requirements.
Panel for Validation
Regulation 1.11 specifies the requirements for members of the validation panel. It states validation can be performed by one or more people. However, RTOs usually ask all trainers and assessors to participate, sometimes including field experts.
Collectively, your validation panel must have:
- Vocational Competencies and Up-to-date Industry Skills relevant to the validated unit.
- Current Expertise 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?
- Accuracy: Does the assessment evaluate what it is intended to evaluate?
- Consistency: Will different assessors make the same decision on skill competence?
Rules of Evidence
- Validity: Is the evidence relevant to the skills, knowledge, and attributes described in the unit of competency?
- Adequacy: Does the evidence adequately demonstrate the required skills and knowledge?
- Originality: 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
- Feed babies with bottles and clean 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
Common Pitfalls
Describing the nappy-changing process for babies under 12 months does not fulfill the unit requirement. Unless the unit specification is meant to assess underpinning knowledge (i.e., knowledge evidence), students should be performing the tasks.
Watch Out for the Plurals!
Pay attention to the frequency. In our example, one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032 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 read more twice on just one baby is not sufficient.
All or Nothing Competence
Pay attention to enumerated tasks. As mentioned earlier, if students only complete half the tasks, it’s out of compliance. Each assessment item must cover all specifications, or the student is incompetent, and the assessment tool is non-compliant.
Be Specific!
Each evaluation task must have clear and specific reference answers to guide the assessor’s judgment on the student’s competence. Therefore, it’s crucial that your instructions do not baffle students or evaluators.
Avoid Double-Barrelled Questions
Steering clear of double-barrelled questions makes it easier for students to respond and for trainers to accurately assess student competence.
Audit Guarantees
Considering these requirements, you might wonder, “Don’t learning resource developers offer audit guarantees?” However, with these promises, you must wait for an audit before they help rectify noncompliance. This affects your compliance history, so it's better to take a safe and compliant approach.
By following these instructions and understanding the assessment principles and Rules of Evidence, you can ensure that your assessment tools are reliable with the requirements set by ASQA and the SRTOs 2015.