Assessment is ‘the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved, to confirm that an individual can perform to the standard required in the workplace, as specified in a training package or VET accredited course.’
Dimensions of competency
To be competent, a person must show their ability to perform effectively in a broad capacity. The dimensions of competency ensure the person being assessed has the skills to perform competently in variety of different circumstances. To be competent, a person must demonstrate the following:
Task Skills:The skills needed to perform a task at an acceptable level. They include knowledge and practical skills, and these are usually described in the performance criteria.
Task Management Skills:These are skills in organising and coordinating, which are needed to be able to work competently while managing a number of tasks or activities within a job.
Contingency Skills:The skills needed to respond and react appropriately to unexpected problems, changes in routine and breakdowns while also performing competently.
Job Role/Environment Skills:The skills needed to perform as expected in a particular job, position, location and with others. These skills may be described in the range of variables and underpinning skills and knowledge.
Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence
Assessment must be conducted in accordance with the rules of evidence and principles of assessment.
Principles of Assessment
Validity:
Each task has been mapped to unit of competency requirements.
Assessment tasks are varied and are required to be completed over a period of time and, where required, on a number of occasions. Practical observations provide opportunities for students to demonstrate both knowledge and skills.
Reliability:
Marking guide provides benchmark answers for each assessment task to ensure accuracy and consistency in the assessment decision-making process.
Flexibility:
A Range of assessment methods are provided that is relevant to the unit’s context.
Fairness:
Students are required to inform their trainers if they have any special needs or considerations that may affect their ability to complete the assessments. Any reasonable adjustments that are required to be made to these assessments must be noted in the accompanying checklist attached after each task for this unit.
Students are provided with information about the appeals process in their Student Handbook.
Rules of evidence
Validity:
Marking Guide provides a set of benchmark responses for each assessment task. Assessors are to record assessment outcomes for each task in the accompanying checklist provided after each task and in the Record of Assessment Outcomes. Assessor observations require the assessor to watch the student complete specific workplace activities in which they can demonstrate the skills and knowledge required.
Sufficiency:
The ‘Unit mapping’ demonstrates how assessment tasks align with unit of competency requirements. Some units may require the student to demonstrate assessment over a period of time and more than once. These requirements will be made clear in the relevant assessment task.
Currency:
Evidence for each assessment task will be gathered over the duration of the course. Workplace-based tasks will allow the student to draw from current workplace conditions and experiences, and students will be able to use technology, tools and equipment specific to their workplace.
Authenticity:
Students are required to accept the Student Assessment Submission – Agreement and Declaration in Moodle indicating that the work they have submitted for the assessment task is their own.
Practical classroom tasks and workplace observations by the assessor during placement visits ensure that the assessor sees the student demonstrating the skills and knowledge required of this unit.
Supervisor reports require Supervisors to sign that they have observed the student undertake the tasks detailed in the checklist (where applicable)
Reasonable adjustment
A legislative and regulatory framework underpins and supports the delivery of vocational education and training across Australia. Under this framework, providers of vocational education and training must take steps to ensure that learners with recognised disabilities can access and participate in education and training on the same basis as learners without disabilities. Sometimes reasonable adjustments, are made to the learning environment, training delivery, learning resources and/or assessment tasks to accommodate the particular needs of a learner with a disability. An adjustment is reasonable if it can accommodate the learner’s particular needs, while also taking into account factors such as: the views of the learner; the potential effect of the adjustment on the learner and others; the costs and benefits of making the adjustment.
Adjustments must:
- be discussed and agreed to by the learner with a disability
- benefit the learner with a disability
- maintain the competency standards
- be reasonable to expect in a workplace.
Adjustments are not required if they could:
- cause the RTO unjustifiable hardship
- harm other learners.
- Making reasonable adjustments requires the RTO to balance the need for change with the expense or effort involved in making this change. If an adjustment requires a disproportionately high expenditure or disruption it is not likely to be reasonable.
- Some examples of reasonable adjustments that could be made for the assessments in this task include:
- verbal responses to written activities (such as questions and answers tasks and case studies)
- conducting assessor workplace observations via Skype or other video format (for example, in cases of students in remote areas)
- rescheduling assessor observations in the event that workplace conditions may not be suitable (for example, safety concerns, required resources not being available, lack of appropriate clients on the day, and so on)
- providing students with large-print copies of the Student Assessment Tasks.
Document any reasonable adjustments made in the space provided in the task checklist provided at the end of each Assessment Task.
Assessment
- Students:
- Please fill out this cover sheet clearly and accurately for this task.
