{Process of Assessment Validation for the VET Providers throughout the Australian context A Complete Guide

{Process of Assessment Validation for the VET Providers throughout the Australian context A Complete Guide

Blog Article

Assessment Validation Overview

Registered Training Organisations are responsible for various tasks post-registration, including yearly reports, AVETMISS reporting, and marketing adherence. Among these tasks, assessment validation often stands out. While validation has been covered in many posts, let's return to the basics. ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) defines validation of assessments as a quality review of the evaluation process.

Basically, assessment review is concerned with 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 SRTOs 2015 regulations, 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 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 other type ensures that assessments follow the Principles of Assessment and rules of evidence. This suggests that validation is carried out in both pre- and post-assessment stages. This article will discuss the primary type—assessment tool validation.

Types of Assessment Validation

- Assessment Tool Validation: Commonly called pre-assessment validation or verification, concerns the first part of the regulation, focusing on ensuring all unit requirements are met.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Relates to the conduct, confirming that RTO assessments follow the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

Guide to Conducting Assessment Tool Validation

Timing for Assessment Tool Validation

The purpose of assessment tool validation is to verify that all components, performance criteria, and performance and knowledge evidence are included by your assessment tools. Therefore, whenever you obtain new educational resources, you must conduct validation of assessment tools before students use them. There's no need to wait for your next scheduled validation. Validate new materials as soon as possible to ensure they are appropriate for students.

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

- Modify your resources
- Introduce new training products on scope
- Review 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 Needing Validation

Bear in mind that this validation guarantees adherence of all learning resources before use. All RTOs must validate resources for each course unit.

Resources Needed to Start Assessment Tool Validation

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

- Mapping Resource: The first document to review. It shows which evaluation items meet subject requirements, helping with faster validation.
- Learner/Student Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an evaluation tool during validation. Check if guidelines are clear and answer fields are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Assessor Guide/Marking Guide: Also check if guidelines for trainers are sufficient and if find it here clear benchmarks for each assessment item are provided. Clear benchmarks are crucial for reliable evaluation results.
- Other Related Resources: These may include checklists, registers, and templates developed separately from the workbook and marking guide. Validate these to ensure they suit the assessment task and meet unit requirements.

Assessment Validation Panel

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

Collectively, your validation panel must have:

- Vocational Skills and Current Professional Skills relevant to the unit being validated.
- Current Expertise in Vocational Education.
- Either of the following certifications for training and assessment:
- TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its successor.

Principles Guiding Assessment

- Fairness: 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?
- Relevance: 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: Is the evidence appropriate to the requirements of the unit of competency?
- Sufficiency: Does the evidence adequately demonstrate the required skills and knowledge?
- Authenticity: Does the evidence confirm the originality of the candidate's work?
- Relevance: Is the evidence up-to-date with current industry practices?

Specific Considerations for Assessment Validation

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

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

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 assess underpinning knowledge (i.e., evidence of knowledge), students should be carrying out the tasks.

Be Careful with Plurals!

Pay attention to the numbers. 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 won’t cut it.

Full Competence or Not Competent

Pay attention to lists. As mentioned earlier, if students only complete half the tasks, it’s out of compliance. Each assessment item must meet all requirements, or the student is not competent, and the evaluation tool is out of compliance.

Provide Specific Details

Each assessment item must have clear and specific benchmark answers to guide the evaluator’s decision on the student’s competence. Therefore, it’s crucial that your directions do not mislead students or evaluators.

Steer Clear of Double-Barrelled Questions

Avoiding double-barrelled questions makes it more straightforward for students to respond and for evaluators to accurately judge student competence.

Audit Guarantees

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