The principles and practices of assessment

It is likely that you will work towards achieving this unit along with:

a) Assess occupational competence in the work environment (designed for work based assessment of competence)

or

b) Assess vocational skills, knowledge and understanding (designed for those who assess both occupational competence in the work environment and vocational skills, knowledge and understanding in environments other than the workplace (for example a workshop, classroom or other training environment).

This unit, understanding the principles and practices of assessment, has to be completed alongside the one of the above `performance’ units in order for you to achieve your `assessor qualification’. However, you will receive credits for achieve of this QCF unit.

This workbook has been designed to help you to research and produce a variety of evidence to cover the knowledge and understanding in the unit. In order to achieve, you need to work closely with the Centre where you are planning to, or, are already undertaking assessment responsibilities. You will also need to agree with your Assessor for this qualification, how you plan to evidence the various knowledge and understanding statements within this unit and workbook.

There will be potential for some evidence from one of the two performance units, detailed above, to cover some of the knowledge and understanding. This product evidence can go towards supporting your knowledge and understanding claim. One piece of evidence may cover more than one assessment criteria. Again, your Assessor of this qualification will be able to help and advise you.

Before commencing this workbook, ensure you have received a full and detailed induction into the workings of the Centre where you will be undertaking assessment. This should include you having access to all its policies and procedures and those of the awarding body. Ideally you should have the opportunity to shadow an experienced assessor and, when you start to make assessments, initially you should be observed by an experienced assessor or your internal verifier. All your decisions will have to be countersigned by a qualified and occupationally competent colleague until such time as you achieve the assessor qualification.

Produced below, within the workbook, are the various learning outcomes and assessment criteria which you need to achieve. A column has been added `what you need to research, understand and evidence’. This should direct you as to what you need to do in order to be able to then think about how you want to evidence the various statements. If you decide to produce a personal statement, you can insert this in the area identified as `response’.

The final column asks you to identify the likely assessment method/evidence type which you will select to cover each of the assessment criteria. This is likely to be:

Professional discussion
Professional discussion is a structured, planned and in depth discussion recorded by the assessor. It allows you to present evidence of competence and to demonstrate skills, knowledge and understanding through discussing the evidence and showing how it meets the requirements of the qualification. The assessor should guide the discussion by using open questioning, active listening and knowledge of the standards. Personal statement

This is your own account of what you did or what you understand, backed up by reference to evidence or witnesses. You can also produce logs or diaries, reflective accounts, but someone who can authenticate them as a true account of what took place must countersign these.

Performance evidence

Performance evidence provides proof of what a candidate can do. Sometimes, performance evidence can also provide evidence of what a candidate knows. Performance evidence can take the form of the following:

• products or outcomes of your own work (for example, things that you produced or worked on). The evidence presented for assessment may be the actual product or a record of the product

• proof of the way you carried out their work (that is, the process you went through). An assessor’s observation of you or a witness’ testimony both provides performance evidence and would be suitable for these qualifications.

In discussion with your Assessor, decide how you plan to meet the various assessment criteria. Use this workbook as a record of what piece of evidence finally meets the criteria.

CANDIDATE NAME:ASSESSOR:

Learning Outcome Assessment criteria What you need to Identify likely Location of evidence ie research, understand the evidence and assessmenthere in the workbook or evidence method ie Professional number of performance Discussion, Product, evidence Performance evidence Understand the principles and 1.1 Explain the functions of You need to consider: requirements of assessment assessment in learning and Why assessment is carried development out?

What is its purpose? What is it measuring? What are the anticipated outcomes? Response: 1.2Define the key concepts andYou may consider what principles of assessment constitutes: Fairness Reliability Validity Safeness and manageability in assessment And how an assessment method meets the needs of a candidate Response: 1.3 Explain the Research and role and responsibilities of the responsibilities of the assessor assessor in terms of Planning Assessing Feeding back, both in the situation of competence being demonstrated and when a new plan has to be agreed Response: 1.4 Identify the regulations Research and identify and requirements relevant to which company and assessment in your own area ofindustry rules and practice regulations impact on you in your assessor role Reponse: Understand different types of 2.1 Compare the strengths and Consider the different assessment methods limitations of a range of assessment methods you assessment methods with might use with your referent to the needs of candidate ie observation, individual learners examination of product, witness testimony, questioning. List or consider the good and bad aspects of each ie observation = evidence is totally authentic however, it is reliant on the assessor to produce. Response: Understand how to plan assessment

3.1 Summarise key factors to What are the key factors? consider when planning Perhaps, is the candidate assessment ready to be assessed, do they understand the assessment process, has a suitable time and place been agreed for the assessment? Response 3.2 Evaluate the benefits of Research holistic using a holistic approach to assessment. What does it assessment mean? What are the benefits of assessing in this style for assessor and candidate? Response: 3.3 Explain how to plan a Detail how you would plan holistic approach to a holistic assessment. assessment Consider what resources you would need and how would you prepare the candidate for this approach Response:

3.4 Summarise the types of Risks vary in the various risks that may be involved in occupational areas being assessment in own area of assessed. Consider your responsibility area and the risks that exist ie loss of confidentiality, ensuring health and safety requirements are met. Response: 3.5 Explain how to minimise Think of the risks risks through the planning identified in 3.4 above. process Explain what measures you take to minimise those risks. Response: Understand how to involve 4.1 Explain the importance of Consider what the learners and others in assessmentinvolving the learner and benefits of involving the others in the assessment candidates and others in process the assessment process ie motivation of candidate, access to witness testimony providers, greater range of experience and understanding Response:

4.2 Summarise types of Explain why these types information that should be of information are made available to learners andnecessary. These may others involved in the include: the assessment process qualification standards, policies and procedures of your Centre, quality assurance measures and how these will impact on your learner or their employer Response: 4.3 Explain how peer and You may consider how your self-assessment can be used learner can be encouraged effectively to promote learnerto reflect on their own  involvement and personal performance, to develop responsibility in he analytical skills and to assessment of learning gain a greater understanding to the qualification and how it impacts on their day to day performance. Response: 4.4 Explain how assessment Consider what assessment arrangements can be adapted toarrangements need to be meet the needs of individual made ie timing, learners consideration of learning styles preferred, the need to vary assessment methods, any particular assessment preferences of the candidate Response: Understand how to make assessment

5.1 Explain how to judge You may include in your decisions whether evidence is: explanation: Sufficient Are the requirements met Authentic and how do you know? Current Is the work that of the candidate and how do you know? Have the working practices around that activity changed since the evidence was produced? Response: 5.2 Explain how to ensure thatConsider what is your assessment decisions are: assessment decision based Made against specified upon ie NOS or criteria qualification And are specification and that it Valid accurately measures Reliable competency, that the same  Fair result would occur regardless of who was assessing and when the assessment decision was made and that equality and diversity and individual needs have been met Response: Understand quality assurance of 6.1 Evaluate the importance ofExplore and understand the assessment process quality assurance in the the quality assurance assessment process processes in your Centre.

You may want to detail how observation of assessment, candidate interviews, portfolio sampling and standardisation  activities take place. How does all this impact on you and how important is it in maintaining quality? Response: 6.2 Summarise quality This is likely to be assurance and standardisation covered by the evidence procedures in own area of submitted for 6.1 above practice Response: 6.3 Summarise the procedures Read and understand your to follow when there are Centre’s and your disputes concerning assessmentawarding bodies appeals in own area of practice procedures. Summarise actions taken in the event of an appeal Response: Understand how to manage 7.1 Explain the importance ofThink about how you information relating to following procedures for the record assessments, who assessment management of information may have access to this relating to assessment information and why is it so important it is correct. Also then consider `external’ documents ie Regulatory Requirements for QCF qualifications, Awarding body requirements for recording of assessment. Response:

7.2 Explain how feedback and This is an integral part questioning contribute to the of the assessment cycle assessment process ie plan, judge, feedback, question. By following  this cycle, what is achieved in the assessment process Response: Understand the legal and good 8.1 Explain legal issues, Research and then explain practice requirements in relationpolicies and procedures which legal issues and to assessment relevant to assessment, policies impact on your including those for assessment practice ie confidentiality, health and Data protection safety and welfare Child protection Safe guarding Health and safety Response: 8.2 Explain the contribution Consider how you use that technology can make to technology in the the assessment process assessment process.

This may include, electronic audio recordings, video, digital photographs, `e’  portfolio. How does this technology contribute to the assessment process? Response: 8.3 Evaluate requirements for Research your Centre’s equality and diversity and policy in relation to E&D where appropriate, bilingualism. There bilingualism in relation to should also be a similar assessment statement/policy provided by your awarding body. Evaluate how this impacts on your practice. Response: 8.4 Explain the value of Explain your Centre’s reflective practice and policy in relation to continuing professional appraisal and development in the assessment identification of process development needs and the recording of continued
professional development activities Response: