Assessment Validation Simplified: How to Validate Assessments

Post-registration, RTOs are tasked with many responsibilities including annual declarations, AVETMISS reporting, and marketing compliance, and validation is often the most challenging.Even though we’ve written about validation several times, let's revisit its definition. ASQA calls validation a quality review of the assessment process.Validation involves verifying which areas of an RTO's assessment process are correct and highlighting where improvements are needed. Understanding its key components makes the task less intimidating.As per Clause 1.8 of the SRTOs 2015, RTOs are required to ensure that their assessment systems, including RPL, meet training package requirements and are conducted following the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.The standards mandate two types of validation.The initial validation type checks that your RTO's assessments align with the training package requirements.The next validation ensures that assessments are conducted per the principles of assessment and rules of evidence.Thus, we understand that validation is done before and after the assessment. This article highlights the first type: assessment tool validation.The Two Types of Assessment Validation ExplainedA Deep Dive into Assessment ValidationAs noted earlier and in our earlier blogs, validation is divided into two stages: (1) assessment tool validation and (2) post-assessment validation.Pre-assessment validation or verification, also known as assessment tool validation, relates to the first part of the clause, ensuring all unit requirements are met and workbooks are 100% compliant.Conversely, post-assessment validation pertains to the implementation, ensuring Registered Training Organisations conduct assessments in line with the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.For this piece, our emphasis will be on assessment tool validation.Conducting Assessment Tool ValidationHaving distinguished between the two types of validation, let’s dive into the details of assessment tool validation.Timing for Conducting Assessment Tool ValidationThe aim of assessment tool validation is to ensure that all elements, performance criteria, and performance and knowledge evidence are covered by your assessment tools.This implies that any time you get new learning resources, assessment tool validation must be done before they are used by students.There's no requirement to wait for the next validation schedule in your 5-year cycle. Validate new resources promptly to ensure they’re appropriate for students.Yet, this is not the only occasion to conduct this type of validation. Perform assessment tool validation when you:- updating your resources- new training products are added on scope- course is reviewed against training product updates- you identify your learning resources as a risk during your risk assessmentThe Australian Skills Quality Authority's risk-based regulatory approach means RTOs should conduct regular risk assessments. Complaints from students about learning resources are a prime opportunity for assessment tool validation.What Training Products Need Validation?Keep in mind, this validation ensures that all learning resources comply before use. All RTOs must validate resources for each unit.Resources Required for Assessment Tool ValidationAcademic ResourcesFor validation of your assessment tools, you will require the full set of your learning resources:Mapping tool – this is the initial document to review. It identifies which assessment items address unit requirements, speeding up validation.Learner/student workbook – assess its appropriateness as an assessment tool. Confirm clear instructions and adequate answer fields. This is a common problem.Assessor guide/marking guide – verify that instructions for assessors are comprehensive and clear benchmarks for each assessment item are present. Clear benchmarks are key to reliable assessment outcomes.Other related resources – these could be checklists, registers, and templates created separately from the workbook and marking guide. Validate them to confirm they fit the assessment task and meet unit requirements.Panel for ValidationClause 1.11 details the requirements for validation panel members, noting that validation can be conducted by one or more people. Generally, RTOs require participation from all trainers and assessors and may include industry experts.Overall, your validation panel should have:Relevant vocational competencies and industry skills applicable to the unit being validatedUp-to-date knowledge and skills related to vocational teaching and learningAny of the following training and assessment credentials:TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or an equivalent successorValidation document/templateHaving a validation tool helps you with both the validation process and documentation. Using a validation tool makes it easier to look at how each assessment item maps against each unit requirement.Using a validation tool is advantageous for both the validation process and documentation. It aids in viewing how each assessment item matches each unit requirement.At the same time, it can serve as your document evidence that you have validated your resources before letting the students use them.Simultaneously, it provides documentation that you have validated your resources before students use them.Although ASQA does not recommend or require a specific template for assessment tool validation, numerous templates can be found online. These tools typically have validators examine the tools holistically to determine if they meet the principles of assessment.Assessment Principles Yes/No/Partially Comments1. Fair2. Flexible3. Valid4. ReliableWhile such templates facilitate validation, they often result in judgment errors because there’s insufficient space for comments on each assessment item.We strongly recommend using a more detailed template to inspect each unit requirement and the assessment items that map to them. Here is an example:Element Performance Criteria Assessment Directions Standards Assessment Instrument Rectification RecommendationsWhat do you Need to Check?What Requires Checking?As mentioned in our blog post Common Problems In Assessment Tools, it’s crucial that your assessment tools enable trainers to follow assessment principles and evidence rules.Basic Principles of AssessmentFairness – Is equal opportunity and access provided to everyone in the assessment process?Flexibility – Are different options provided in the assessment to demonstrate competence based on individual needs and preferences?Validity – Is the assessment measuring what it is supposed to measure? Is it a valid tool for assessing the required skill or knowledge?Reliability – Will the assessment achieve consistent results every time, no matter who conducts the training? Will different assessors consistently decide on skill competence?Evidence Basic RulesValidity – Does the evidence demonstrate that the candidate has the skills, knowledge, and attributes described in the unit of competency and associated assessment requirements?Sufficiency – Is there enough evidence to ensure that the learner has the skills and knowledge required?Sufficiency – Is there adequate evidence to ensure the learner has the required skills and knowledge?Authenticity – Does the assessment read more tool ensure that the work is the candidate’s own?Currency – Do the assessment tools mirror current units of competency and modern industry practices?Despite being regularly covered in VET professional development and nationally recognised training, many tools still have issues with these requirements.To prevent using learning resources that fail to address some unit requirements, ensure you follow these guidelines:Walk the TalkPay close attention to the verbs in the unit requirements and ensure they are addressed by the assessment item. For example, in the unit CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers, one performance evidence requirement asks students to:Perform each of the following tasks at least once with two different babies under 12 months old in a safe environment, using age-appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication per service and regulatory requirements:nappyingprepare bottles, bottle feed infants, and clean equipmentprepare solid foods and feed babiesappropriately respond to baby signs and cuessettle infants for sleep and prepare themmonitor and foster age-appropriate physical exploration and gross motor skillsGetting students to describe changing nappies for babies under 12 months doesn’t meet the unit requirement. Unless the requirement assesses underpinning knowledge (i.e., knowledge evidence), students should be performing the tasks.Notice the Plurals!Pay attention to the numbers. In our example on one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032, this single unit requirement 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 1 baby won’t cut it.Mind the numbers. In our CHCECE032 example, one unit requirement asks students to complete the tasks at least once with two different babies under 12 months old. Doing the tasks twice with one baby won’t suffice.Complete Compliance or Not CompetentObserve the lists. As noted above, if students are asked to perform just half the tasks listed, it’s non-compliant. Each assessment item must address all requirements, or the student is not yet competent and the assessment tool is non-compliant.Can you be more specific?Can You Be More Specific?Each assessment item must have clear and specific benchmark answers to guide the assessor’s judgment on the student’s competence. Therefore, it’s crucial that your instructions do not confuse students or assessors. For instance:What kind of information can be included in a work package?What can be included in a work package?The answer could include:Necessary materialsAppropriate costsTime span of activitiesAppointed roles and responsibilitiesWhen an assessment item calls for several answers, indicate the number of answers required from a student. This way, your assessment remains reliable, and the evidence collected is valid.The same applies to assessment items with double-barrelled questions or those requiring multiple answers simultaneously. These can confuse students and assessors, as demonstrated in the sample question below:Name a hazard and/or environmental concern in the work area and choose the most effective hazard control hierarchy.Answers might include, but are not limited to:Weather conditions – isolation of the work area, engineering, personal protective equipmentWork area and ground conditions – elimination, isolation, engineeringPeople – isolation, engineering, administrationStructural hazards – substituting, isolation, engineering controlsChemical hazards – isolating, engineering, administrationEquipment or machinery – isolating, engineering, administrationAvoiding double-barrelled questions makes it simpler for students to respond and for assessors to accurately judge competence.Considering these requirements, you might think, “Don’t learning resource developers have audit guarantees?” But such guarantees require you to wait for an audit before rectifying noncompliance. This affects your compliance history, so it’s better to take a safe and compliant route.