Assessment Validation Made Simple: Guide to Validating Assessments

Among the numerous obligations RTOs face post-registration—annual declarations, AVETMISS reporting, marketing compliance—validation is often the most dreaded.Despite our extensive coverage on validation, let's re-examine the term. ASQA states that validation is a quality check of the assessment process.In essence, validation confirms which parts of an RTO's assessment process are correct and pinpoints elements for improvement. With a solid grasp of its key components, validation becomes manageable.According to SRTOs 2015 Clause 1.8, RTOs must ensure that their assessment systems, including RPL, comply with training package requirements and adhere to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.According to the standards, RTOs must conduct two types of validation.The first kind of assessment validation ensures your RTO's assessment adheres to the training package requirements within your scope.The second kind of validation ensures assessments are carried out in accordance with the principles of assessment and rules of evidence.Therefore, validation is conducted both before and after the assessment. This article emphasizes the first type: assessment tool validation.Understanding the Two Types of Assessment ValidationExploring the Concept of Assessment ValidationAs mentioned earlier and in our earlier blogs, validation is split into two parts: (1) assessment tool validation and (2) post-assessment validation.Pre-assessment validation, also referred to as assessment tool validation, is related to the first part of the clause, ensuring all unit requirements are addressed and workbooks are entirely compliant.On the implementation side, post-assessment validation ensures Registered Training Organisations conduct assessments according to the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence.This piece will highlight assessment tool validation.Steps for Conducting Assessment Tool ValidationNow that we’ve differentiated the two types of validation, let’s examine assessment tool validation in detail.Appropriate Times for Assessment Tool ValidationAssessment tool validation ensures that all elements, performance criteria, and performance and knowledge evidence are included in your assessment tools.Thus, whenever new learning resources are purchased, you must conduct assessment tool validation before allowing student use.You don't have to wait for the next validation schedule in your 5-year cycle. Validate new resources as soon as you get them to ensure they’re suitable for students.Nonetheless, there are other reasons to conduct this type of validation. Perform assessment tool validation when you:- you update your resources- you add new training products on scope- training product updates are reviewed against your course- your learning resources get identified as a risk during your risk assessmentASQA's risk-based regulation approach requires RTOs to conduct regular risk assessments. Therefore, complaints from students about learning resources are a perfect time for assessment tool validation.Selecting Training Products for ValidationIt's crucial to remember this validation ensures compliance of all learning resources before they are used. All RTOs should validate resources for each unit.Resources Required for Assessment Tool ValidationTraining MaterialsGiven that you are validating your assessment tools, you will need the complete array of your learning resources:Mapping tool – this should be the first document to examine. It shows which assessment items correspond to unit requirements, facilitating quicker validation.Learner/student workbook – ensure it's appropriate as an assessment tool. Check if the instructions are clear and answer fields are adequate. This is a frequent issue.Assessor guide/marking guide – confirm that instructions for assessors are adequate and clear benchmarks for each assessment item exist. Clear benchmarks are crucial for reliable assessment outcomes.Other related resources – might include checklists, registers, and templates developed independently from the workbook and marking guide. Validate them to confirm they fit the assessment task and address unit requirements.Validation TeamClause 1.11 sets out the requirements for validation panel members, stating that validation can be conducted by one or more individuals. RTOs generally require all trainers and assessors to be involved, sometimes including industry experts.Your validation panel must, as a group, possess:Vocational competencies and industry skills pertinent to the unit being validatedCurrent knowledge and expertise in vocational teaching and learningEither of the following training and assessment credentials:TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or its equivalentAssessment validation document/templateHaving a validation tool helps you with both the validation process and documentation. Using a validation tool makes it easier to look at how each assessment item maps against each unit requirement.Using a validation tool helps in both the validation process and documentation. It facilitates seeing how each assessment item matches each unit requirement.At the same time, it can serve as your document evidence that you have validated your resources before letting the students use them.Additionally, it can act as evidence that you have validated your resources before they are used by students.ASQA does not provide a recommended or required template for assessment tool validation, but many templates can be found online. These tools often have validators review the tools as a whole to verify if they meet the principles of assessment.Principles of Assessment Form Yes/No/Partially Comments1. Fair2. Flexible3. Valid4. ReliableThough these templates make validation easier, they can lead to judgment errors because they provide little room for comments on each assessment item.It is highly advisable to use a more detailed template for evaluating each unit requirement and its corresponding assessment items. Below is an example:Element Performance Criteria Assessment Instructions Standards Assessment Instrument Rectification RecommendationsWhat do you Need to Check?What to Look For?As detailed in our blog post Common Problems In Assessment Tools, it is crucial that your assessment tools enable trainers to adhere to assessment principles and evidence rules.Assessment Basic PrinciplesFairness – Is equal opportunity and access provided to everyone in the assessment process?Flexibility – Are multiple options available in the assessment to demonstrate competence based on different needs and preferences?Validity – Does the assessment evaluate what it is meant to evaluate? Is it a valid tool for measuring the required skill or knowledge?Reliability – Will the assessment yield consistent results each time, regardless of the trainer? Will different assessors make the same decision on skill competence?Evidence Core RulesValidity – Does the evidence demonstrate that the candidate has the skills, knowledge, and attributes described in the unit of competency and associated assessment requirements?Sufficiency – Is there enough evidence to ensure that the learner has the skills and knowledge required?Sufficiency – Is the evidence enough to confirm the learner has the required skills and knowledge?Authenticity – Does the assessment tool prove that the work is the candidate’s own?Currency – Are the assessment tools based on current units of competency and up-to-date industry practices?Although these are often addressed in VET professional development and nationally recognised training, numerous tools fail to meet these requirements.To prevent using learning resources that fail to address some unit requirements, ensure you follow these guidelines:Practice Your TeachingsPay attention to the verbs in the unit requirements and ensure they are addressed by the assessment item. For example, in the unit CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers, one performance evidence requirement asks students to:Carry out each of the following tasks at least once with two different babies under 12 months old in a safe environment, using age-appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication per service and regulatory requirements:nappy changeprepare bottles, feed infants from bottles, and clean equipmentprepare solid foods and feed infantsrespond to baby signs and cues appropriatelysettle babies for sleep and prepare themmonitor and encourage suitable physical exploration and gross motor skills for the ageHaving students explain the process of nappy changing for babies under 12 months doesn’t meet the unit requirement. Unless it’s meant to assess underpinning knowledge (i.e., knowledge evidence), students should be doing the tasks.Plurals Matter!Pay attention to the numbers. In our example on one of the unit requirements of CHCECE032, this single unit requirement calls for the students to complete the tasks at least once on two different babies under 12 months of age. Having students complete the tasks listed twice on just 1 baby won’t cut it.Notice the numbers. In our CHCECE032 example, one unit requirement asks students to complete the tasks at least once with two different babies under 12 months old. Doing the tasks twice with one baby is not sufficient.Entire or Not CompetentPay attention to lists. As noted earlier, if students perform only half the tasks listed, it’s non-compliant. Each assessment item must address all requirements, or the student is not yet competent and the assessment tool is non-compliant.Can you be more specific?Clarify FurtherEvery assessment item must include clear and specific benchmark answers to guide the assessor’s judgment on student competence. Consequently, ensure your instructions are clear and not confusing for students or assessors. For example:What kind of information can be included in a work package?What sort of information can be included in a work package?The answer could include:Required materialsAppropriate costsLength of activitiesAssigned functions and responsibilitiesIf an assessment item demands multiple answers, specify the number of answers required from a student. This ensures your assessment is reliable, and the evidence obtained is valid.The same is true for assessment items with double-barrelled questions or those asking for multiple answers at once. Such questions can confuse both students and assessors, as demonstrated in the sample question below:Identify a hazard and/or environmental issue in the workplace and select the most effective hazard control hierarchy.Possible answers may include, but are not limited to:Weather conditions – isolation of work area, engineering, PPEWork area and ground conditions – elimination, isolating, engineering controlsPeople – isolating, engineering, administrationStructural hazards – substitution, isolation, engineering controlsChemical hazards – isolating, engineering controls, administrationEquipment or machinery – isolation, engineering, administrationSteering clear of Assessment validation process Australia double-barrelled questions makes it easier for students to answer and for assessors to accurately judge student competence.Given these requirements, you might wonder, “Don’t learning resource developers provide audit guarantees?” However, these guarantees require waiting for an audit to rectify noncompliance. This impacts your compliance history, so it’s better to take a safe and compliant route.