Principles of assessment
All assessments carried out by an RTO need to comply with the four principles of assessment. These principles apply to the assessment tools you use as well as the way you conduct the assessment process. The four Principles of Assessment are set out below.
1. Validity
A valid assessment assesses exactly what it claims to assess.
You can make sure an assessment is valid by:
- ensuring that you cover all the performance criteria of the competency
- collecting sufficient evidence over a period of time in a range of contexts
- using activities that match the way those skills are used in the workplace.
2. Reliability
A reliable assessment gives a consistent result each time it is carried out, including by different people.
The reliability of assessments can be improved by:
- reviewing the decisions you have made in previous assessments
- comparing your outcomes with the outcomes given by other assessors
- using clearly defined benchmarks in your assessment tools.
3. Flexibility
A flexible assessment makes allowance for changing conditions in the workplace and different contexts for the same competency.
To be flexible, you should:
- use the RPL process when it's relevant
- use different types of assessment activities to suit different contexts, or workers with special needs
- be prepared to change the time or location of the assessment event if there are problems with the existing arrangements.
4. Fairness
An assessment is fair when the candidate for assessment clearly understands what they need to do in order to demonstrate competence, and when any 'special needs' they have are taken into account.
You can make sure an assessment is fair by:
- making 'reasonable adjustments' to the assessment tool where required
- treating all candidates equally, regardless of their individual differences, such as ethnic background, religion or gender.
Assessment scenarios
Read through the following four assessment scenarios and answer the questions at the end of each one.
Example 1: Validity
Adam is an apprentice motor mechanic, and is being assessed on his ability to operate a brake lathe.
He is asked to write up a safe operating procedure (SOP) for the lathe, showing how to start it up, adjust the calibrations, machine brake disks, check the tolerances and shut the lathe down safely.
The assessor will check Adam's SOP to make sure he hasn't left out any important points. If everything is correct, the assessor will sign Adam off as 'competent'.
Questions
Is this a valid way to assess the skills required to operate a brake lathe? If not, why not?
What activity would you propose to make sure your assessment task was valid?
Example 2: Reliability
Josie and Peter are trainee wood turners. They are about to be assessed on their ability to sharpen wood turning chisels quickly and precisely. Their assessment task is to sharpen six chisels each, with a maximum time of 30 minutes.
When they are finished, the assessor will check each tool for sharpness and the accuracy of the angles.
The only problem for Josie and Peter is that they will need to take the chisels out of a drawer full of blunt or damaged chisels, and it will be hard to tell in advance how much work will be involved to sharpen each one.
There are also lots of different profiles and sizes, and chisels for different purposes, such as gouges, scrapers, parting chisels, and so on.
Questions
Is this going to be a reliable assessment of their sharpening skills? If not, why not?
How would you improve this assessment activity to make it more reliable?
Example 3. Flexibility
Lucy is an estimator for a building supply company. Her job is to look at the plans that customers bring in and work out the types, quantities and prices of the various products that her company is able to supply. She then produces a quotation for the customer.
The assessor has arranged with Lucy to arrive on the Monday morning and watch her cost up the first job to arrive on her desk for that day.
Once she has finished preparing a written quotation for the customer, he will decide whether she is competent in the unit: 'Take off and cost material quantities'.
Unfortunately for Lucy, the first job she is handed on the Monday morning is an architect-designed beachfront house, with many special features and unusual requirements.
Questions
Should the assessor vary the parameters of the assessment activity?
What can he do to make the assessment criteria more flexible?
Example 4. Fairness
A group of six sales representatives for a large manufacturing company have been receiving sales training for several months. Today they are going to be assessed on their ability to handle difficult customers who are making a complaint.
The assessor has decided that the main assessment activity should be a role play. He has written out six little scenarios - each one describing a situation where a customer feels that the company's product has let them down, and they are now confronting the sales rep and demanding a refund or some other sort of restitution.
The six role plays will be played out in front of the group. One learner will take on the role of the unhappy customer and the other will be the sales rep who is being assessed in their ability to handle the difficult situation.
The assessor has told them that they can use the scenario as the starting point and let the conversation go in whatever direction it takes them.
At the end of each role play, the assessor will ask the rest of the group how they thought the sales rep handled the situation, and whether the rep was able to bring the customer around and negotiate an acceptable outcome for the company.
He will then make his decision on the rep's competence in handling difficult customers.
Questions
Is this going to be a fair assessment of each learner?
What sorts of variables might affect the performance of individual learners, or the conditions they are faced with?
How would you re-design the assessment activity to make it fairer for everyone?