CERTIFICATE IN ASSESSING VOCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT (CAVA) Unit 1: Understanding the principles and practices of assessment.

WHY ASSESS? Assessment can take part at different stages in Learning and Development and can sometimes be overlooked. In this section, we will take a look at why we should be assessing our learners and what benefits there are to assessment, followed by some of the key principles of assessment.

THE FUNCTIONS OF ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING If you have just delivered a training session and you don’t assess, how can you be sure that any learning has taken place? Or if you are trying to work out a person’s level of skill in a particular area, how would you know whether their skill level is poor, moderate or exceptional without assessment? There are many reasons to assess such as: Determining level of knowledge & understanding Ensuring that learning is taking place Checking progress Adhering to course criteria Providing a summary to learning

THE FUNCTIONS OF ASSESSING IN LEARNING…. For the person doing the assessing, assessment means they can be confident that the Learner has the required level of knowledge on a particular topic or competency for a certain task. For your Learners, the assessment process usually means reassurance of their level of knowledge / competency and a positive outcome to become closer in gaining their certificate.

CATEGORIES OF ASSESSMENT Assessments can be roughly categorised into five types which may be used at different stages of a learner’s journey: Initial assessment Formative assessment Summative assessment Self assessment Peer assessment

CATEGORIES OF ASSESSMENT…. The initial assessment is done before any training or other assessments take place to gauge a Learners base level of knowledge or their basic competency level. The purpose of a formative assessment is to determine what a learner does or doesn’t know A summative or interim assessment checks learning is progressing and that knowledge is being retained. Learners can perform self assessments which will ask them to look at their own skill level and make a judgement whilst peer assessment will have their ability judged by fellow learners or work colleagues.

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT There are many choices when making a decision on how to assess; each with their own strengths and limitations. Some types of assessment include: Question & Answer sessions (both written and oral) Professional discussions Reflective accounts Role play and simulation

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT… Recognising Prior Learning - Accrediting Prior Learning, see RPL. Examinations / Test Assignments Product evidence Case Studies Observations Witness statements now known as ‘statements from Others’ in QCF

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT Neglecting any of these differing forms of assessment may mean missing out on some critical aspects of Learning and Development. It may also create barriers to achievement and positive feedback or outcomes. Understanding your learner brings with it many benefits to both learner and assessor, as they can both reflect on the impact of the outcomes. You may not be using all these assessment methods on a day to day basis but it is useful to know about all assessment methods so you pick and use the most relevant ones.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF ASSESSEMENT METHODS ASSESSMENT METHOD STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS Written questioningCan take the form of essays, short answer questions or multiple choice questions. Short and multiple choice questioning are examples of objective testing as there is only one correct answer. This form of assessment is quick and easy to mark which means feedback can be given quickly to learners. Multiple choice questions can be guessed if the learner is unsure so they might not be the best way to get an accurate measure of whether the learner has understood something. If more depth on short answer questions is required, essays can be used to assess understanding, literacy and high level comprehension although they take time for the learners to complete and for the assessor to mark.

ORAL QUESTIONING STRENGHTSLIMITATIONS Can form a secondary or backup assessment method to check for comprehension. They can be used to support theory while the learner is practicing their skills or at work and they can be adapted or changed quickly depending on the situation. Open oral questions should be used to draw out the information from the learner. Assessors should be careful not to used closed questions unless testing agreement. Closed questions give you a yes/no answer. Open questions allow the candidate to explain a lot more. They begin with how, where, when, what….

ROLE PLAYS AND SIMULATIONS STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS Can be used to recreate a situation that a learner may find themselves in so the assessor can determine how they would react and handle the situation. A simulation is useful when a situation could be considered dangerous or risking expensive resources. A lot of learners may resist role-play as they don’t want to make an idiot of themselves but the majority finds it a beneficial experience although it doesn’t match the real thing in terms of emotions. Special note: Simulation is sometimes not preferred although the use of a ‘What if?’ style of questioning can be used. You must ensure that this form of evidence gathering is approved; sometimes on a unit by unit case.

REGONISING PRIOR LEARNING STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS If a learner has attended a previous training session, has other Recognised Prior Learning or achieved an award or certificate in the past this can be used to support their other assessments. RPL as ‘a method of assessment’ considers whether a learner can demonstrate that they can meet the requirements of a unit through knowledge, understanding and skills they already possess This may however be time consuming for the assessor as they will need to validate the RPL not all of it may be relevant to the current criteria they are assessing. Each assessor needs to check the guidance for their relevant qualification, as the guidance varies for different qualifications.

PRODUCT EVIDENCE (WORK PRODUCTS) STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS Can be a useful assessment to support other methods. Anything created or generated within the work environment can be used to backup other assessments. In some qualifications this is a primary source of evidence. If an assessor feels it is appropriate they can get one of the learner’s colleagues, line manager or ‘peers’ to check authenticity with them. This may help the learner to get some informal feedback on their competencies or knowledge and perhaps some new ideas. would need to verify the peer assessment as the colleague may not have the same standards or be aware of the criteria that are being assessed.

REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS This encourages the learner to reflect and evaluate their own competency and the learner records this for their future reference (e.g. reviewing their own learning progress). Depending on the learner, they may find it hard to be objective about their own skills or knowledge.

WITNESS TESTIMONY STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS Their testimonies can be a valid form of assessment. This can be used to summarise or validate a learner’s competency perhaps toward the end of a unit. A witness would need to be checked for reliability by the assessor and a signature sample obtained. It is also recommended that whenever possible and appropriate the assessor should discuss with the witness the learner’s progress. This will help to confirm witness suitability and may also produce stronger evidence.

OBSERVATIONS STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS is an assessor’s primary assessment method for practical skills. It’s an opportunity to see the learner in their natural work environment and see if the theory they have learnt is being applied. An assessor needs to work out a way of recording these observations as they are the most likely form of evidence to be questioned by a learner. The unit/standards should always be used as your guide and reference. Although one group of skills closely associated to one unit may be your guide; Is time consuming for the assessor

PROFESSIONAL DISCUSSIONS STRENGTHSLIMITATIONS An alternative to oral questioning would be a professional discussion where a learner is asked to talk about a situation or subject regarding their work. It allows for a more descriptive, structured assessment to take place. An assessor should ensure they don’t lead the learner in the discussion and that the learner has time to prepare for the discussion otherwise it may not flow very well.

ANOTHER WORTHWHILE METHOD… SELF-ASSESSMENT This encourages the learner to reflect and evaluate their own competency and the learner records this for their future reference (e.g. reviewing their own learning progress). Depending on the learner, they may find it hard to be objective about their own skills or knowledge.

RELIABLE WITNESSES (OTHERS) If reliable witnesses are available - their testimonies can be a valid form of assessment. This can be used to summarise or validate a learner’s competency perhaps toward the end of a unit. A witness would need to be checked for reliability by the assessor and a signature sample obtained. It is also recommended that whenever possible and appropriate the assessor should discuss with the witness the learner’s progress. This will help to confirm witness suitability and may also produce stronger evidence.

NOW COMPLETE ACTIVITY 1 & 2….WELL DONE!!!