RARPA Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement in non-accredited learning

The staged process has been designed to: Focus on and promote the needs and interests of learners; Take account of learners’ diverse and sometimes multiple purposes in learning; Allow for negotiation of the content and outcomes of learning programmes Encourage learners to reflect on and recognise their own progress and achievement, thus increasing their confidence;

The staged process has been designed to: Promote and support informed learner self-assessment, peer assessment and dialogue about learning and achievement between learners and tutors/trainers; Enable both the achievement of planned learning objectives and learning outcomes not specified at the outset to be recognised and valued; Promote good practice in teaching, learning and assessment Enhance providers’ quality assurance and improvement practices.

The RARPA staged process comprises five elements: Aims appropriate to an individual learner or groups of learners Initial assessment to establish the learner’s starting point Identification of appropriately challenging learning objectives Recognition and recording of progress and achievement during programme (formative assessment) End of programme learner self-assessment; tutor summative assessment; review of overall progress and achievement.

Clearly stated aims For the programme/learning activity Clear simple course outlines/descriptors Easily understood intended learning outcomes Information on resources needed (if any) Information on any pre-requisites for participation in the programme How you will know what you have learned

Initial Assessment Record of outcomes of process of establishing learners’ starting points Previous knowledge and experience Limiting factors or inhibitions Practical support needs Personal aspects of why the learner is there and concerns they may have

Individual Challenging Goals Clearly stated and suitably challenging objectives for all programmes and, wherever feasible, individually In addition to the learning aim the learner may have their own goals and reasons – the tutor needs to be aware of these to make the learning effective Additional ‘soft’ outcomes around increased confidence, social skills, personal goals.

Formative Assessment and Feedback: Evidence Records of learner self-assessment, group and peer assessment, tutor records of assessment activities and individual or group progress and achievement. Learners’ files, journals, diaries, portfolios, artwork, Videos, audiotapes, performances, exhibitions Displays, individual or group learner testimony, Artefacts, photographs and other forms of evidence

Summative Assessment Learner’s self assessment Tutor assessment Peer reviews Group reviews Joint reviews Learner satisfaction outcomes Other information that can be collected

Quality Assurance Learners’ outcomes End of programme/activity review Self Assessment Quality improvement actions The common inspection framework Inspection

RARPA mapped to the CIF Aims appropriate to an individual learner or groups of learners (clearly stated learning aims) KQ1 How well do learners achieve? KQ2 How effective are teaching and assessment KQ3 How well do the learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community? Initial assessment to establish the learner’s starting point KQ2 How effective are teaching, training and assessment? KQ4 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? ? Identification of appropriately challenging learning objectives: initial, renegotiated and revised KQ4 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? Recognition and recording of progress and achievement during programme (formative assessment): tutor feedback to learners, learner reflection, progress reviews End-of-programme learner self-assessment; tutor summative assessment; review of overall progress and achievement

Diolch