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Enhancing Assessment
Practice
ACT Assessors’
Professional Development Day
Presented by Greg Weis
Friday, June 11, 2010

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Assessment
How would you define the term “assessment”?
Definition: “Assessment in training is about measuring an
individual’s ability to see if they have reached the stated outcomes
of a training program…Assessment is based upon ‘the gathering
and judging of evidence about the performance of individuals’.”
[italics and bold added]
Tovey, M., & Lawlor, D., (2008). Training in Australia. (3rd Edition).

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Assessment
What implications for assessors?
“…high levels of professional expertise are needed to decide
how to develop competence and how to make holistic, context-
sensitive judgements about whether it has been achieved.”
[italics and bold added]
Schofield and McDonald (2004, p. 4)

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Assessment
Figure 1
Yes No
Indirect
Life’s experiences
Reports
Records
Purposes
Certification
RPL
Extent of learning
Types
Diagnostic
Formative
Summative
Methods
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Assessment
Qualification
or
Statement of
Attainment
issued
Learning
Direct
Teacher facilitated
Learner instigated
Judgement
Competent
?
Interpretation
Evidence
N.B. For the sake of illustration, The ‘Evidence Cycle’ part of the above diagram, has been shown as a
separate process to assessment, whereas in reality it is actually a part of the assessment process.

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Assessment Validation & Moderation

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Quality of Assessment Practices
http://www.nqc.tvetaustralia.com.au/nqc_publications

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Assessment Moderation
What do we mean by the term “moderation”?
NQC definition: “Moderation is the process of bringing assessment
judgements and standards into alignment. It is a process that
ensures the same standards are applied to all assessment results
within the same Unit(s) of Competency. It is an active process in the
sense that adjustments to assessor judgements are made to
overcome differences in the difficulty of the tool and/or the severity
of judgements.”
National Quality Council, (2009). A Code of Professional Practice for Assessment Validation and Moderation. Page 6 & 7.

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Assessment Moderation
What does “moderation” mean in plain English?
Purpose / Definition:
• Allows for adjustments to be made before the final determination
of a result.
• To determine, based on the evidence before another qualified
assessor, that the assessment judgement is sound. In other
words, another qualified assessor would have reached the same
conclusion or judgement had he/she be presented with the same
evidence.

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Assessment Moderation
Why?
1. Best Practice (We work for a Quality RTO)
2. Promoted by NQC (National Quality Council)
3. Benefits students
4. Benefits assessors

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Assessment Moderation
Reliability
Inter-rater reliability: Consistency of judgement by different
assessors, using the same assessment tool and procedure.
Intra-rater reliability: Consistency of judgement across time and
location, by the same assessor using the same assessment tool.
Definitions courteous of Gillis, S., & Griffin, P., (2008). Competency Assessment. In J. Athanasou (Ed.), Adult Education and Training.

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Assessment Moderation
That the original assessor and the moderating assessor need to
reach consensus on the final determination of the assessment result.
Implications?
• Competent / Not Yet Competent
• Graded assessment – TAFE. Pass, Credit, Distinction.
What does “Inter-rater” reliability mean in plain
English?

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Assessment Validation
What do we mean by the term “validation”?
NQC definition: “Validation…involves checking that the assessment
tool produced valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic
evidence to enable reasonable judgements to be made as to
whether the requirements of the relevant aspects of the Training
Package or accredited course had been met. It includes reviewing
and making recommendations for future improvements to the
assessment tool, process and/or outcomes.”
National Quality Council, (2009). A Code of Professional Practice for Assessment Validation and Moderation. Page 6.
[bold added]

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Assessment Validation
What does “validation” mean in plain English?
Purpose / Definition:
To check that the assessment tool ‘mirrors’ the unit of competency.
This includes, as a minimum:
• Elements & Performance Criteria
• Required Skills & Knowledge; Attitude of the student
• The Critical Aspects of Assessment / Competency
In short…It assesses what it claims to assess

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Assessment Validation
Construct
Validity
Criterion related
Validity
Face Validity Consequential
Validity
Content
Validity
Five ‘facets’ of Validity
Face Validity: The extent to which the assessment task resembles real
workplace activities.
Content Validity: How well the content of the assessment task reflects
the required knowledge and skills specified in the Unit of Competency.
Definitions courteous of Gillis, S., & Griffin, P., (2008). Competency Assessment. In J. Athanasou (Ed.), Adult Education and Training.
Validity

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Assessment Validation
“Our project was based on…[a] broader approach to validity which sees
it as the extent to which the interpretation and use of an assessment
outcome can be supported by evidence.”
[Italics in original] Thomson, Saunders and Foyster (2001, p. 10)
Validity
“Validity is the main assessment game––some would say the only game.”
Thomson, Saunders and Foyster (2001, p. 10)

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Assessment Validation
https://vetinfonet-staging.det.wa.edu.au/progdev/resources.aspx#Assessing%20competence

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Assessment Validation
How can you assist your RTO with Content
& Face validity?
Feedback on assessment tasks
• Know the Units of Competency inside-out. Evidence Guide.
• Trial different assessment methods
• Realistic scenarios for assessment
• Role plays
• Know the workplace task/s – make assessments realistic.
• Realistic scenarios for assessment
• Role plays

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Assessors’ Competencies
Implementation of AQTF 2010 circa 04/2011
(a) have the necessary training and assessment competencies as
determined by the National Quality Council or its successors, and
1.4 Training and assessment is delivered by trainers and
assessors who:
(b) have the relevant vocational competencies at least to the level being
delivered or assessed, and
(c) can demonstrate current industry skills directly relevant to the
training/assessment being undertaken and
(d) continue to develop their VET knowledge and skills as well as
their industry currency and trainer/assessor competence.

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Assessor’s Competencies
Implications for assessors?
• May need to work “voluntarily”
• May have to attend DET workshops on assessment practice
Demonstrate currency
• Professional reading
VET Knowledge & Skills
• Get back into the workplace
• Industry workshops / shows
• Professional reading
• May have to attend DET workshops on assessment practice
• Professional reading

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In Conclusion…
Assessment is the ‘pointy end’ learning
It’s all about outcomes for the students!
Assessment is on the ‘radar’ of the regulators
Remember…
• Learning & Development professionals hone and enhance their
assessment practice
Questions?

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References
Gillis, S., & Griffin, P., (2008). Competency Assessment. In J. Athanasou (Ed.), Adult Education and Training.
Terrigal, NSW: David Barlow Publishing.
National Quality Council, (2009a). A Code of Professional Practice for Assessment Validation and Moderation.
Melbourne, VIC: TVET Australia.
National Quality Council, (2009b). Implementation Guide: Validation and Moderation. Melbourne, VIC: TVET
Australia.
National Quality Council, (2009c). Guide for Developing Assessment Tools. Melbourne, VIC: TVET Australia.
Schofield, K., & McDonald, R., (2004). High Level Review of Training Packages: Working Paper 7: Supporting
quality teaching, learning and assessment. Brisbane: ANTA.
Thomson, P., Saunders, J., & Foyster, J., (2001). Improving the validity of competency-based assessment.
Adelaide: NCVER.
Tovey, M., & Lawlor, D., (2008). Training in Australia. (3rd Edition). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education
Australia.