1. Key Concepts and Principles of Assessment
Opening slide.
All slides can be amended, moved or deleted to suit your own delivery and timings.
Presenter notes are included with each slide, however, you can expand or amend them. You may like to use ‘animations’ to enable the text to come in ‘line by line’ and add pictures to enhance the presentation.
It is recommended you ask questions throughout the slides and/or create short activities for your learners to carry out.
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2. This presentation will cover:
Why should assessment take place?
The key concepts of assessment
Principles of assessment
VACSR & SMART
Role & responsibilities of an assessor
Regulations & legislation relating to assessment
Policies and procedures
Presentation contents – can be adapted to suit your organisation.
The bullet points will briefly cover the following assessment criteria (it is advisable to refer to the relevant learning outcomes and assessment criteria when delivering your session):
TAQA units:
Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment – 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 8.1, 8.3
Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment – 3.3, 4.1, 4.2
Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding – 3.3, 4.1, 4.2
Explain there are two performance based Assessor units: Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment – for those assessing competence in the work place (usually by observation and questions), and Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding for those assessing vocational subjects in any environment (usually by assignments, tests and other methods). Learners can do both units if they assess in both environments, or just choose the one for their assessment job role.
The knowledge unit Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment can be taken before the performance unit or at the same time.
Depending upon the time you have available for this presentation, guidance is given as to ideas for discussions and group activities.
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3. Why should assessment take place?
Why do you think assessment should take place with learners?
Ask the learners how they assess to ensure that learning has taken place e.g. observation, questions, assignments etc. Discuss the different contexts e.g. workplace, classroom, training centre etc.
This can be by discussion with you, or a paired or group activity if you have time. If so, set a time limit for the activity.
A response is on the next slide.
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4. Why should assessment take place?
To ascertain if learning has occurred
For example: the skills, competence, knowledge, understanding and/or attitudes needed at a given point
If you didn't assess, you wouldn’t know whether learning had taken place
Explain:
Assessment can be towards a formal qualification, for example an Award, a Certificate or a Diploma in a particular subject. The qualification could be knowledge based i.e. assessing understanding, or performance based i.e. assessing practical skills. Alternatively, you might be assessing an employee’s competence in the work environment. This might be towards a formal qualification, company standards or to prove they can perform the requirements of their job specification.
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5. Why should assessment take place?
Assessment should focus on improving and reinforcing learning as well as measuring achievements
It should help your learners realise how they are progressing and what they need to do to improve and/or progress further
Explain:
Assessment is a regular process; it might not always be formalised, but you will be observing what your learners are doing, asking them questions, and reviewing their progress whenever you are in contact with them. If you also teach or train, your learners will be demonstrating their knowledge and skills regularly, for example through activities, discussions and regular tasks. You are therefore constantly making judgments about their progress and how they could improve. You should also be aware of the impact that your comments and grades can have on your learner’s confidence when you give them feedback. Comments which specifically focus on the activity or work produced, rather than the individual, will be more helpful and motivating to your learners.
Assessment should not be confused with evaluation, assessment is of the learner, evaluation is of the programme that the learner is taking, for example, a qualification. Assessment is specific towards learners’ achievements and how they can improve. Evaluation is a quality assurance monitoring tool. It includes obtaining feedback from your learners and others, for example, employers, line managers and quality assurers (the revised term for verifiers), to help you improve the overall learner experience as well as your own practice.
Assessment can be separated into the requirements of the learner, the assessor, the organisation and the awarding organisation. A table of these requirements is on page 17 of Gravells A (2012) Achieving your TAQA Assessor and Internal Quality Assurer Award London Learning Matters and is available to purchase separately.
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6. The key concepts of assessment
Concepts are the aspects involved throughout the assessment process:
accountability
achievement
assessment strategies
benchmarking
continued...
Ask the learners what they consider are the key concepts of assessment and how they follow them. This could be as a group activity and presentation if you have time. If so, set a time limit for the activity.
For example:
You need to be accountable to your learners and your organisation to ensure you are carrying out your role as an assessor correctly. Your learners should know why they are being assessed and what they have to do to meet the assessment criteria. You will also be accountable to the awarding organisation if you assess their accredited qualifications. You might be accountable to employers if you are assessing their staff in the work environment.
You may be required to analyse achievement data and compare this to national or organisational targets. The funding your organisation receives might also be related to your learners’ achievements. It’s always a useful evaluation method to keep a record of how many learners you have, how many successfully complete their programme and in what timescale.
Following the assessment strategy for your subject will ensure you are carrying out your role correctly and holding or working towards the required assessor qualifications.
Benchmarking involves comparing what is the accepted standard for a particular subject area against the current position of your own learners’ performance. Using benchmarking data can help inform target setting for individuals or groups. If learners don’t achieve the benchmark, an evaluation will need to take place and improvements be implemented. Benchmarking can also be used to compare organisations which provide a similar service, or used within the same organisation to compare performance in different locations.
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7. 14 Missing slides

8. Summary quiz 5 questions here (answers are in the presenter notes)
The learners can partake in the quiz individually, in pairs or small teams.
Other appropriate answers might be given in place of those listed below.
Suggested answers:
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9. Further reading
Gravells A (2012) Achieving your TAQA Assessor and Internal Quality Assurer Award London Learning Matters
Gravells and Simpson (2012) Equality and Diversity in the Lifelong Learning Sector London Learning Matters
Ollin R & Tucker J (2012) The Vocational Assessor Handbook (including IQA) London Kogan Page
Read H (2011) The Best Assessor’s Guide Bideford Read On Publications Ltd
Wilson (2012) Practical Teaching: A Guide to Assessment and Quality Assurance Hampshire Cengage Learning
Please add other relevant texts.
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10. Websites
Assessment –
Data Protection Act -
Equality Act -
Health & Safety At Work etc Act -
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act -
You might like to check the websites are still current and whether you feel they are applicable.
You could add alternatives if you wish.
A0001 (V1) Copyright Ann Gravells SAMPLE ONLY – NOT TO BE ISSUED TO LEARNERS