Learning is a change in skill, attitude, knowledge and understanding and measuring these changes are the steps in the assessment process. Assessment is the judgement of evidence presented by the learner, which shows that learning has taken place. In other words, it is an act of measurement and it confirms that a learning outcome has been achieved and the standards determined by the assessment criteria have been met.
When should assessment take place?
Pre course/beginning of the course
Diagnostic assessment takes place either before the course begins or at the first session. This can serve a number of purposes:
- to help decide whether the unit/qualification at a particular level is suitable for the learners’ needs
- to help decide if the learner should provide additional evidence to meet the standards for higher grades, where they are part of the qualification specification
- to encourage learners to identify their own needs and discover if the proposed learning is right for them
- to help tutors identify individual learning and thinking styles
During the course – formative assessment
Assessment can be used during learning to give feedback and support the learner’s progress. It will also inform both the learner and tutor/lecturer of any action that needs to take place.
Formative assessment will allow:
- tutors to judge what knowledge/skills and understanding a learner has acquired
- tutors to plan the next steps, including working towards higher grades as appropriate
- tutors to give appropriate feedback to a learner
- tutors to encourage and motivate a learner
- a learner to identify what has been learnt, what they need to learn and what they need to do to improve
Summative assessment
Summative assessment normally takes place towards the end of the learning programme or section of a learning programme. This type of assessment measures the extent of learning that has taken place at the end of that phase of the learning experience. It enables a judgement to be made about whether the learner has achieved all the learning outcomes at the standards stated by the assessment criteria within a unit.
Where the moderation of learner work is focused on achievement of qualifications directly related to job roles, assessment decisions must be based on achievement of each AC. Learners should achieve the LO at the standards described by each AC.
Who can assess?
There are a number of categories of people who could be involved in assessing individuals’ learning in a centre. These are likely to include assessors and internal quality assurers, but they may also be supported by people from businesses who are experts in their particular field. ATHE requires evidence that staff carrying out formal assessment have qualifications and/or experience commensurate with the level of the qualification being assessed.
What is the key to making valid assessment decisions?
Tutors need to be very clear about how to assess learner work. All ATHE units are written in terms of learning outcomes which must be achieved for learners to succeed. The learning outcomes state what the learner will be expected to know, or do, or understand. Assessment criteria are the standards which a learner must meet in order for the learning outcomes to be achieved.
One task in an assignment may assess several learning outcomes at once and provide learners with opportunities to meet a range of assessment criteria. In addition, an assignment may cover more than one unit. When qualifications are graded there are normally additional tasks for learners to complete which extend the learning.
It is important that learners are clear about how they can meet the standards. This will include learners knowing what is required by the command verbs stated in each of the assessment criteria. It is essential that all this information is shared with learners verbally and visually (hand-outs, flipcharts etc.).
ATHE assignments for core qualifications reinforce this information, as they relate to the learning outcomes and the separate tasks in the assignment state the specific criteria they refer to. This is reinforced by the cover sheet for assignments, which assessors can use to record their judgements and provide feedback to learners. This document is available on the Qualification Guidance section of the ATHE portal and definitions of the command verbs can be found on page 53 of this document and also in the Learner Handbook.
Where units are graded the learners must demonstrate that they have achieved all the criteria set for the merit and distinction grades. Where work for the pass standard is marginal, assessors can take account of any extension work completed by the learners. If a learner resubmits work in order to meet any of the standards set, a pass, merit or distinction grade can be awarded. The judgements are based on the resubmitted work and where the assessor judges that the standards have been met, the appropriate grade should be given.
Assessment should be:
- open and transparent
- authentic
- reliable, consistent and rigorous
- relevant to the target group
- inclusive
Formal assessment is structured, usually takes place in clearly stated conditions, and is usually used for summative assessment. Forms of non-paper based formal assessment may include:
- practical activity
- structured discussion
- questions and answers
- presentation
Paper based formal assessment is normally in the form of assignments which may include:
- case studies
- projects
- dissertation
- reports
- reflective journal
- diaries or logs
- timed assignments under controlled conditions
Learners typically build up a portfolio of evidence. ATHE assignments are vocationally relevant and are normally set in a vocational context. It is entirely appropriate for learners to research and complete assignments in the workplace. Some centres may wish to include time constrained tests as part of the portfolio of evidence. ATHE has produced guidelines on the conduct of such tests and centres should refer to the policy document on Time Constrained Assessment, which is on the ATHE website.
Assessment of ATHE provision should involve:
- the application of assessment criteria at the appropriate level for the qualification to show that learning outcomes have been achieved and the award of any higher grades is valid.
- a documented process of standardisation to ensure consistency across learners, assessors, sites and units to meet standards
- feedback to learners which is specific, and directly linked to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. This allows the learner to understand where they have been successful and what they need to do to improve. This might lead to an action plan for improvement
Assessment practice must have processes in place to ensure that the evidence for assessment is the learners’ own work. Staff involved in assessment should at all times be aware of the necessity of confirming the authenticity of learners’ work. This has become more important with the advent, and increasing use, of information technology such as, word processing, the Internet, Intranets, and CDs, all of which have contributed to the risk of plagiarism and copying.
While it is almost impossible to eliminate all opportunities for plagiarism and other forms of malpractice such as copying, collusion, ghost writing etc., it is possible to take steps to reduce the risks of it occurring. Therefore:
- All centres should have a malpractice policy including a plagiarism statement. All learners should be made aware of this, and its meaning and consequences made clear. ATHE has produced some guidelines to help centres review their malpractice policies and these are available on the Qualifications Guidance webpage. The document is titled Guidance for Centres on Internal Malpractice Policies and it provides a range of advice, including how to interpret plagiarism reports. When moderating and/or verifying learner work, EQAs follow the guidance included in this document, so it is important for centres to take note of the information provided.
- A statement confirming authenticity of the work should be included with the learner’s file or portfolio.
- Centres should use software to check for plagiarism in learner work and a copy of the plagiarism report must be attached to learner work at external quality assurance.
- Whenever possible draft copies of work should be retained. Apart from giving an indication of authenticity, the practice should be encouraged as it provides evidence of development and planning of a larger piece of work.
- A learner’s work, or passages within a piece of work, that are substantially different in level, tone or vocabulary from previous samples of similar work should be queried.
- Learners should at an early stage be introduced to an acceptable standard system of referencing, so that external sources can be properly attributed.
- The learners name and ATHE Learner ID should be on every page of learner work produced.
Centres must comply with the ATHE policy on Malpractice and Maladministration and failure to do so may mean that certification will be blocked for all or some learners.
What does validity of evidence mean?
Assessment strategies must correlate with the learning outcomes and the assessment criteria. Valid assessment enables the results to be used with confidence.
What does sufficiency/fitness for purpose mean?
The assessment strategy must be appropriate and relevant to the target group of learners and the context in which the learning takes place. The assessment must be appropriate to the credit value and level and provide sufficient evidence so that an accurate assessment judgement can be made.
What does fairness mean?
Assessment must be free from gender, ethnic or other types of discrimination. There should be a balance of approaches to assessment.
Assessment should be manageable for:
- learners,
- lecturers, assessors
- administrators
- the centre/college
- the awarding bodies
This is in terms of time, cost, resources etc.
Assessment in a language other than English
ATHE qualifications are predominately assessed in the English language. However, where there is an evidenced need for an alternative language to be used, ATHE will consider this on a case-by-case basis. Centres should refer to the ATHE Policy on Assessment in a Language other than English and contact ATHE as detailed in the policy.
How do I document assessment decisions?
Evidence of achievement must be directly related to specific learning outcomes and assessment criteria including any criteria which relate to merit and distinction grades. Learners cannot be awarded credit for partial achievement of a unit. This evidence must be made available to the ATHE EQA to confirm the award of credit for the learner/group of learners.
The following are examples of acceptable forms of evidence that are straightforward to cross -reference to assessment criteria within units:
- portfolios
- assignments
- written examinations/tests
- time constrained internally assessed work
- reflective diary
- projects
- research
- dissertations
The following are examples of acceptable forms of evidence that will have to be accompanied by signed tutor observation or witness statements to ensure that adequate evidence exists to confirm that individual learners took part in the activity and achieved the learning outcomes at the standards provided by the assessment criteria:
- questions and answers
- viva
- talks and presentations
- role play
- group work
Learners taking part in these types of activity, as part of the assessment process, must keep any preparatory notes/plans etc. which will make the assessment decisions more reliable and transparent. Evidence should ALWAYS be clearly cross referenced to relevant learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria. Taped or videoed evidence must have an introduction identifying the unit and learning outcome/assessment criterion for which it is providing evidence. Both the tutor and individual learners should be identified by name. An example of a form which can be used by assessors who are assessing oral work is available on the ATHE website.
When dealing with oral evidence it is essential that tutors keep an on-going record of achievement of all learners in the group and where possible record the oral work. If individual assessment/achievement records are lost this will be the only proof of achievement. The internal verifier within a centre should sample this form of evidencing by attending the assessment and/or listening to the recordings as part of the internal sample.
It is important for tutors/course co-ordinators to remember that in certain circumstances assessments can be adjusted to take into account the needs of individual learners e.g. descriptions can be given orally where learners have difficulty with committing work to paper or extensions to deadlines may be given when a learner has an illness which is certificated by a doctor. (See: ‘ATHE Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration Policy’).
Before submitting learners for certification, it is very important for centres to ensure that all information about assessment decisions is accurate and ready for scrutiny by an EQA. This will include information on whether the learner work is a resubmission and/or when the learner has been awarded a reasonable adjustment or special consideration. Further information about this will be found in this guide in the section on Quality Assurance Processes. An example of a tracking grid which records learners’ achievements across the qualification is provided in the Documents / Resources / Sample Documents section of the Centre Portal.
How do I design an assignment brief?
An assignment brief is the document issued to learners at the start of the assessment process for any given unit(s). The creation of assignment briefs which are fit for purpose is essential if learners are to be given every opportunity to succeed.
There is no prescribed layout or format for the brief, but it is recommended that it contains the following information:
- title and level of the qualification
- title and number of unit(s) under assessment
- title/reference of the assignment
- date the assignment is set
- submission date
The brief should include the following sections:
- opportunity for the assessor to place the assignment within a context; perhaps referring to prior teaching and learning, where the project fits into the overall programme, etc.
- a statement on which learning outcomes and assessment criteria the activities and assessment address
- extension activities in order to provide learners with opportunities to achieve higher grades.
Tasks and preparation
- a description of specific activities the learners will undertake in order to produce assessment evidence to address the assessment criteria targeted by the assignment and ensure that learning outcomes can be achieved.
- tasks must be clear, relevant, current and realistic.
- wherever possible there should be variety in the tasks set
- the design of the brief should make reference to the criteria and learning outcomes which individual tasks address, including providing opportunities for any extension work needed for merit and distinction grades.
Forms of evidence
A clear statement of what the learner is expected to produce as evidence, and how that evidence will be assessed.
Other information may include:
- resources
- reference materials