Intro to Assessment Validation

Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) manage multiple obligations following registration, such as annual declarations, AVETMISS compliance, and marketing compliance. Among these tasks, validating assessments is particularly challenging. While validation has been covered in multiple publications, let's revisit the fundamental principles. ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) describes assessment review as a quality review of the assessment process.

Primarily, validation of assessments 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 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 standards mandate two types of validation. The initial type of validation of assessments guarantees adherence to the training package assessment requirements within your RTO's scope. The other type verifies that assessments adhere to the principles of assessment and rules of evidence. This implies that we perform validation in both pre- and post-assessment stages. This article will concentrate on the primary type—validation of assessment tools.

What are the Two Types of Assessment Validation?

- Assessment Tool Validation: Referred to as pre-assessment validation or verification, relates to the first part of the clause, ensuring ensuring all unit requirements are met.
- Post-Assessment Validation: Deals with the execution, ensuring that RTO assessments align with the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.

Methods for Conducting Assessment Tool Validation

Best Time for Conducting Assessment

The purpose of assessment tool validation is to make sure that all components, performance standards, and evidence of performance and knowledge are covered by your evaluation tools. Therefore, whenever you get 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. Review new resources immediately to ensure they are fit for student use.

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

- Upgrade your resources
- Add new training products on scope
- Audit your course with training product updates
- Recognise 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.

What Training Products Need Validation?

Keep in mind that this validation ensures compliance of all educational resources before student use. All RTOs must validate training products for each unit.

Resources Required for Assessment Tool Validation

To start assessment tool validation, you will need the complete set of your awesome site training materials:

- Mapping Document: The first document to review. It indicates which evaluation items meet unit requirements, helping with faster validation.
- Learner/Student Workbook: Ensure it is suitable as an assessment tool during validation. Check if directions are clear and response areas are sufficient. This is a common issue.
- Assessor Guide/Marking Guide: Also ensure if instructions for evaluators are sufficient and if clear criteria for each assessment task are provided. Clear standards are crucial for reliable evaluation results.
- Other Related Resources: These may include evaluation checklists, evaluation registers, and evaluation templates created separately from the learner workbook and assessor guide. Validate these to ensure they fit the evaluation task and comply with unit requirements.

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 trainers and assessors to participate, sometimes including sector experts.

Collectively, your assessment validation panel must have:

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

Principles of Assessment

- Equity: Does the assessment process offer equal opportunity and access to everyone?
- Versatility: Is the assessment adaptable to different needs and preferences of candidates?
- Validity: Is the assessment relevant to the skills and knowledge it aims to evaluate?
- Dependability: Will the assessment produce consistent results every time?

Guidelines for Evidence

- Appropriateness: Is the evidence relevant to the skills, knowledge, and attributes described in the unit of competency?
- Adequacy: Is there enough evidence to ensure that the learner has the skills and knowledge required?
- Genuineness: Does the assessment tool verify that the work is the candidate’s own?
- 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 action words in the unit criteria and ensure they are addressed by the assessment task. For example, in the unit CHCECE032 Baby and Toddler Care, one performance evidence requirement asks students to:

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

Typical Mistakes

Describing the nappy-changing process for babies under 12 months does not fulfill the unit requirement. Unless the unit requirement is meant to assess underpinning knowledge (i.e., evidence of knowledge), students should be doing the tasks.

Watch Out for the 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 won’t cut it.

All or Nothing Competence

Pay attention to enumerated tasks. As mentioned earlier, if students only complete half the tasks, it’s not compliant. Each evaluation task must address all criteria, or the student is incompetent, and the assessment tool is out of compliance.

Provide Specific Details

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 guidelines do not mislead students or trainers.

Steer Clear of Double-Barrelled Questions

Steering clear of double-barrelled questions makes it easier for students to respond and for assessors 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 assurances, you must wait for an audit before they help rectify noncompliance. This impacts your compliance record, 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 evaluation tools are valid with the requirements set by ASQA and the SRTOs 2015.