executive summary

Project no: nr9029
Publication title: Maximising confidence in assessment decision-making: A resource to assist assessors to maintain the quality of their assessment systems

New resource to help improve confidence in assessment

How can we build confidence in the assessment decisions we are making? How do we know if our assessment methods are valid, reliable, fair, flexible and credible?

NCVER has published a resource to assist assessors in Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to maintain the quality of their assessment systems.

The introduction of training packages has focussed vocational education and training providers on the quality of assessment and raising the importance in confidence in assessment decisions.

With the introduction of the Australian Quality Training Framework, RTOs are now required to conduct training assessment within a quality assurance framework which involves documenting, monitoring and evaluating assessment frameworks.

Regardless of the other factors, if assessment leads to an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification, the process adopted by the RTO must be quality assured. The focus of quality assurance has changed from the actual conduct of the assessment to more emphasis on continuous improvement with the system being reviewed regularly and identified changes implemented and the need for it to be an integral part of the RTO's quality management system.

An RTO assessment quality assurance system:

• is valuable when preparing for an audit
• increases confidence in RTO standards which allows mutual recognition to work more successfully
• can help to maintain standards when assessment occurs in new locations and contexts
• can help maintain standards for assessment occurring through partnerships
• helps to ensure that candidates are given fair treatment and value the credentials issued by the RTO.

The resource is divided into 3 sections that cover the range of strategies considered by the research to be the most helpful in improving and maintaining assessment quality:

1. validation strategies
2. gathering evidence
3. assessment partnerships and networks.

The resource includes an overview of how RTOs can develop a validation or moderation process, and a range of checklists that assessors can use as part of the assessment review process. Also included is a sample of a code of practice for assessors, guidelines for setting up simulated assessment and gathering evidence, and guidelines for training organisations on documenting partners and collaborative assessment arrangements. The resource complements Guide 10 Quality Assurance Guide for Assessment of the DETYA-ANTA Training Package Assessment Materials Project. It provides greater explanation of a range of strategies, examples and case studies of how RTOs are quality assuring their assessment processes and decisions.

RTOs are encouraged to 'dip into' the resource to selected strategies that may be most useful to their needs.

The resource - titled 'Maximising confidence in assessment decision-making' was developed by Robyn Booth, Berwyn Clayton, Robyn House and Sue Ray and is available from NCVER's website as a downloadable pdf file at no cost.

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