Assessment Validation Unpacked: Guide to Validating Assessments

Registration brings RTOs many duties like annual declarations, AVETMISS reporting, and marketing compliance, yet validation often proves to be the most feared.Although we've written about validation many times, let’s redefine it. ASQA refers to validation as a quality review of the assessment process.To put it differently, validation is the process of confirming the accurate parts of an RTO's assessment process and identifying what can be enhanced. A correct understanding of its components makes it less intimidating.Clause 1.8 of the 2015 SRTOs indicates that RTOs need to ensure their assessment systems, including RPL, are compliant with training package requirements and conducted in accordance with the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.We are required by the standards to carry out two types of validation.The initial validation type checks that your RTO's assessments align with the training package requirements.The second type of validation verifies assessments are conducted according to the principles of assessment and rules of evidence.This implies that we validate both prior to and following the assessment. The focus of this article is on the first type: assessment tool validation.Understanding the Two Types of Assessment ValidationClarifying Assessment ValidationAs noted earlier and in previous blog posts, validation comprises two stages: (1) assessment tool validation and (2) post-assessment validation.Pre-assessment validation or assessment tool validation focuses on the first part of the clause, ensuring that all unit requirements are met and that workbooks are entirely compliant.In contrast, post-assessment validation focuses on the implementation, requiring Registered Training Organisations to conduct assessments according to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.In this article, we will emphasize assessment tool validation.The Process of Assessment Tool ValidationNow that we understand the two types of validation, let’s explore the details of assessment tool validation.When Assessment Tool Validation Should Be DoneThe aim of assessment tool validation is to ensure that all elements, performance criteria, and performance and knowledge evidence are covered by your assessment tools.Hence, whenever new learning resources are bought, assessment tool validation is necessary before student use.There's no necessity to wait for the next 5-year cycle validation schedule. Validate new resources immediately to ensure they are appropriate for student use.Still, this isn't the only reason to perform this type of validation. Conduct assessment tool validation also when you:- you update resources- new training products get added on scope- reviewing your course against training product updates- learning resources are identified as a risk during the risk assessmentASQA applies a risk-based regulation approach, expecting RTOs to do regular risk assessments. Hence, student complaints about learning resources are a good reason for assessment tool validation.Determining Training Products for ValidationIt's important to remember this validation ensures that all learning resources are compliant before use. All RTOs need to validate resources for each unit.Necessary Resources for Assessment Tool ValidationEducational ResourcesFor validating your assessment tools, you will need the full array of your learning resources:Mapping tool – start by investigating this document. It shows which assessment items meet unit requirements, facilitating quicker validation.Learner/student workbook – validate its suitability as an assessment tool. Ensure instructions are clear and answer fields are adequate. This is a frequent gap.Assessor guide/marking guide – ensure that instructions for assessors are sufficient and clear benchmarks for each assessment item are provided. Clear benchmarks are essential for reliable assessment outcomes.Other related resources – may consist of checklists, registers, and templates developed independently from the workbook and marking guide. Validate them to confirm they suit the assessment task and address unit requirements.Validation PanelClause 1.11 describes the requirements for validation panel members, indicating that validation can be performed by one or more persons. RTOs often require all trainers and assessors to attend, and sometimes industry experts are invited.Together, your validation panel should possess:Relevant vocational competencies and up-to-date industry skills for the unit being validatedCurrent knowledge and expertise in vocational teaching and learningAny one of the following training and assessment credentials:TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or an equivalent successorAssessment validation instrument/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.Having a validation tool aids both the validation process and documentation. It simplifies seeing how each assessment item maps to 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.It also serves as evidence that you have validated your resources before students use them.While ASQA does not have a recommended or required template for assessment tool validation, many templates are available online. These tools generally require validators to review the tools as a whole to see if they meet the principles of assessment.Assessment Principles Guide Yes/No/Partially Comments1. Fair2. Flexible3. Valid4. ReliableWhile these templates facilitate the validation process, they can result in judgment errors due to the limited space for comments on each assessment item.We strongly suggest using a more detailed template to evaluate each unit requirement and its corresponding assessment items. Here is an example:Element Performance Criteria Assessment Guidelines Standards Assessment Instrument Rectification RecommendationsWhat do you Need to Check?What to Look For?As discussed in our blog post Common Problems In Assessment Tools, it’s essential that your assessment tools enable trainers to follow assessment principles and evidence rules.Essential Principles of AssessmentFairness – Does the assessment ensure equal opportunity and access for everyone?Flexibility – Does the assessment provide multiple options to show competence according to various needs and preferences?Validity – Does the assessment measure what it is supposed to measure? Is it a valid tool for evaluating the required skill or knowledge?Reliability – Will the assessment give the same results every time, regardless of the trainer? Will different assessors make the same decision on skill competence?Essential Rules of EvidenceValidity – Is the evidence verifying 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 enough evidence to confirm the learner has the required skills and knowledge?Authenticity – Does the assessment tool ensure that the work is the candidate’s own?Currency – Do the assessment tools reflect current units of competency and modern industry practices?Although these are regularly covered in VET professional development and nationally recognised training, numerous tools still struggle to meet these requirements.To prevent using learning resources that do not address some unit requirements, ensure you adhere to these guidelines:Practice What You PreachObserve the verbs in the unit requirements and ensure they are addressed by the assessment item. For instance, in the unit CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers, one performance evidence requirement asks students to:Complete each of the following at least once with two different babies under 12 months old in a safe environment, using age-appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication according to service and regulatory requirements:change diapersprepare bottle, bottle feed babies and clean equipmentprepare solid foods and feed infantsrespond suitably to infant signs and cuessettle infants for sleep and prepare themmonitor and foster physical exploration and gross motor skills appropriate for the ageHaving students describe changing nappies for babies under 12 months doesn’t directly address the unit requirement. Unless it’s meant to assess underpinning knowledge (i.e., knowledge evidence), students should be performing the tasks.Pay Attention to 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.Notice 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 is not sufficient.Entire or Not CompetentMind the lists. Again, if students 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?Every assessment item must have clear and specific benchmark answers to guide the assessor’s judgment on student competence. Thus, make sure your instructions are not confusing for students get more info or assessors. For example:What kind of information can be included in a work package?What can be included in a work package?The answer can include:Compulsory resourcesPertinent costsTime allocated for activitiesAssigned duties and responsibilitiesIf an assessment item demands multiple answers, specify how many answers a student must provide. This ensures your assessment is reliable, and the evidence gathered is valid.This is true for assessment items with double-barrelled questions or questions requiring more than one answer at the same time. These can confuse students and assessors, as shown in the sample question below:Name a hazard and/or environmental concern in the workplace and choose the most effective hazard control hierarchy.Answers can include, but are not limited to:Weather conditions – isolation of work area, engineering controls, personal protective equipmentWork area and ground conditions – elimination, isolating, engineering controlsPeople – isolation, use of engineering controls, administrative controlsStructural hazards – substitution, isolating, engineering controlsChemical hazards – isolating, use of engineering controls, administrationEquipment or machinery – isolating, engineering controls, administrationAvoiding double-barrelled questions simplifies responses for students and allows assessors to judge competence accurately.Given these requirements, you might wonder, “Don’t learning resource developers offer audit guarantees?” But these guarantees require waiting for an audit before rectifying noncompliance. This impacts your compliance history, so it’s better to take a safe and compliant route.