Assessment Validation Policy

Assessment Validation Policy

Standard 1: The RTO’s training and assessment strategies and practices are responsive to industry and learner needs and meet the requirements of training packages and VET accredited courses.

Policy Statement

The validation policy is designed to ensure that Gold Coast Learning Centre assessment instruments effectively address the requirements of the qualification including continuous improvement of strategies, resources and staff.

The College uses a risk-based approach based on the mode of delivery and changes to training packages to develop the validation plan. The plan details when the validation will occur, which training products will be the focus, who will lead and participate in the validation, how the outcomes will be documented and acted on and saved on the portal.

The validation process shall determine whether the assessment procedures and materials currently in use are valid, fair, reliable and flexible in their application and are suitable.

Validation Procedure

Plan for Validation

When developing the VET Validation Plan, the following factors are considered:

• Indicators of risk might include:
  
  • the use of new assessment tools.
  • delivery of training products where safety is a concern.
  • the level and experience of the assessor, or;
  • changes in technology, workplace processes, legislation, and licensing requirements.
• Assessment validation meetings are scheduled once every five years for each qualification.
• At least 50% of all qualifications are validated with the first three years.
• The outcome of each validation undertaken is recorded on the Validation Checklist and the Training & Assessment Strategy for the validated competency where feedback and recommendations are documented and acted upon.

Validators

Collectively the persons as validators must have:

• Appropriate vocational competencies.
• Current industry skills and knowledge.
• An appropriate training and assessment qualification or assessor skill set.
• Current knowledge and skills in vocational training and learning.

Validation Samples

Selecting samples to be validated include the following:

• Identify and locate a statistical random sample of assessment/assessment tools used for the qualification/unit.
• Make copies of the selected assessment tools/evidence/units.
• Assessors complete assessment validation record and record their comments.

Any required improvements are to be made to assessment processes or materials within 30 days.

Procedures

Validation Procedure

1. Validation will occur approximately every three months.
2. All trainers and assessors are involved in the validation meeting.
3. The VET administrator will provide for the unit being validated:
   1. a. The student assessment and guide
   2. b. Trainer and assessor guide and instructions.
   3. c. Assessment requirements for the unit of the competency from www.training.gov.au
   4. d. A selection of graded assignments for the past of 6 months for each assessment. The sample size will be calculated using the validation sample size calculator when applicable (http://www.asqa.gov.au/media-and-publications/conducting-validation1.html).
4. Validators are asked to:
   1. Suggest changes to assessments to meet changes in industry and policy.
   2. Review assessment methods and tasks used.
   3. Ensure compliance with the assessment requirements of the relevant training product
   4. Ensure the principles of fairness, flexibility, validity and reliability are adhered to
   5. Ensure that the assessments have been designed to produce valid, sufficient, authentic and current evidence.
   6. Ensure that assessment tools are appropriate to the contexts and conditions of assessment (this may include considering whether the assessment reflects real work-based contexts and meets industry requirements).
   7. Ensure that assessment tools are appropriate in terms of the level of difficulty of the tasks to be performed in relation to the skills and knowledge requirements of the unit.
   8. Ensure that there is sufficient instruction to clearly explain the tasks to be administered to the learner (if the assessment samples demonstrate the evidence provided by each learner is markedly different, this may indicate that instructions are not clear)
   9. Suggest appropriate reasonable adjustments that could be made to the gathering of assessment evidence.
   10. Verify the consistency of judgement between trainer/assessors in respect to the same Unit of Competency assessed, where applicable.
   11. Document suggestions for improving assessment tools and assessment judgements.
   12. Ensure that the assessors have an understanding of assessment methods and tasks.
   13. Verify that the marking criteria meet the learning outcomes as detailed in the Training Package.
   14. Confirm whether assessment methods and tasks are mapped to the performance criteria, skills and knowledge and learning outcomes in the Training Package.
   15. Complete the Validation Report.
5. Amendments to existing assessment tools/processes are to be made within 30 days of the validation activity. Updated documents will then replace any existing documents and will be implemented as soon as is reasonably practicable. Any learners currently undertaking a unit at the time it is updated will not be required to complete revised assessment tools.