{Assessment Validation Guide for the VET Organizations within Australia's training sector -

{Assessment Validation Guide for the VET Organizations within Australia's training sector -

Blog Article

Intro to Assessment Validation

Training Organisations are responsible for many duties upon registration, including annual declarations, AVETMISS reporting, and advertising compliance. Among these tasks, validating assessments often stands out. While validation has been reviewed in several publications, a review of the basics is necessary. The Australian Skills Quality Authority describes validation of assessments as a quality review of the evaluation process.

In essence, assessment validation is dedicated to 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 Standards for RTOs 2015, RTOs must ensure their assessment systems, including RPL, comply with the training package requirements and are conducted according to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

The rules require two forms of validation. The primary type of assessment validation guarantees adherence to the training package assessment requirements within your organisation's scope. The subsequent validation guarantees that assessments adhere to the principles of assessment and Rules of Evidence. This implies that validation is carried out in both pre- and post-assessment stages. This article will focus on the primary type—validation of assessment tools.

Differentiating Assessment Validation Types

- Assessment Tool Validation: Often termed pre-assessment validation or verification, relates to the primary part of the clause, ensuring meeting all unit requirements.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Deals with the conduct, ensuring RTOs conduct assessments in line with the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

Conducting Assessment Tool Validation

Best Time for Conducting Assessment

The purpose of assessment tool validation is to ensure that all elements, performance criteria, and evidence of performance and knowledge are included by your evaluation tools. Therefore, whenever you obtain new training materials, you must perform assessment tool validation before students use them. There's no need to wait for your next 5-year cycle validation schedule. Check new materials immediately to verify they are appropriate for students.

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

- Revise your resources
- Integrate new training products on scope
- Compare your course with training product updates
- Identify potential risks in your learning resources 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.

Identifying Training Products for Validation

Remember that this validation ensures compliance of all learning resources before student use. All RTOs must validate training products for each unit.

Resources Needed to Start Assessment Tool Validation

To validate your evaluation tools, you will need the complete set of your training materials:

- Mapping Tool: The first document to review. It identifies which evaluation items meet subject requirements, aiding in faster validation.
- Student Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an evaluation tool during validation. Check if directions are clear and response areas are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Assessor Guide: Also check if instructions for assessors are sufficient and if clear criteria for each assessment task are provided. Clear standards are crucial for reliable evaluation results.
- Additional Resources: These may include evaluation checklists, logs, and templates developed separately from the workbook and evaluation guide. Validate these to ensure they fit the assessment task and comply with course unit requirements.

Validation Panel

Regulation 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 require all educators and assessors to participate, sometimes including industry experts.

Collectively, your panel must have:

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

Principles of Assessment

- Fairness: Is the assessment process fair and equitable for all candidates?
- Versatility: Are there multiple ways to demonstrate competence, accommodating different needs and preferences?
- Validity: Does the assessment evaluate what it is intended to evaluate?
- Dependability: Will different assessors make the same decision on skill competence?

Evidence Rules

- Appropriateness: Is the evidence appropriate to the requirements of the unit of competency?
- Completeness: Does the evidence adequately demonstrate the required skills and knowledge?
- Authenticity: Is the evidence genuine and truly representative of the candidate's abilities?
- Timeliness: Does the evidence reflect current skills and knowledge?

Key Considerations for Assessment Validation

Pay attention to the verbs in the unit requirements 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:

- 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 babies for sleep and help them settle
- Supervise and support age-appropriate physical activities and motor development

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

Mind the Plurals!

Pay attention to the frequency. In our example, one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032 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 is not sufficient.

All or Nothing Competence

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

Provide Specific Details

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

Steer Clear of Double-Barrelled Questions

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

Ensuring Audit Compliance

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

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