A)How to identify and use different types of evidence when carrying out assessments. We use several different means to collect evidence from a candidate which allows us to cover the elements in depth by providing as much evidence as possible in as many forms as possible. These include: - Observation of the Candidate, during which we observe the candidate undertaking a particular task and record their actions and the outcome of those actions detailing how they approached the task, planned and completed the task and solved any unexpected problems that may have arisen during the task.
Examination of Product, this is where we evaluate the final product that the candidate has produced to see how it has followed the initial plan, if there have been any changes made, the reason for those changes and that the product meets the performance criteria. Examination of Witness Testimony, this is produced by the candidate’s/supervisor/line manager and provides a firsthand account of the candidate’s progress and input with particular tasks.It should give information on the candidates ability to perform specific tasks, how they discuss with the appropriate people what needs to be done, the preparation of resources and time needed and that the deadlines set are met. Examination of Case History will identify if the candidate has any previous experience or relevant qualifications in the chosen module which could provide evidence that the candidate has produced this level/quality/style of work in the past.B)How to identify and compare different types of evidence when making your assessment decisions. When making an assessment I identify the types of evidence based on the plan we have set for each assessment beforehand.
Prior to each assessment the candidate will be asked to provide certain evidence to cover the various requirements for that particular unit ranging from written question/answers, product evidence, witness testimonies or oral question and answers.C)How to collect evidence in ways that are cost-effective and timely. Evidence is collected in various ways from printed documents / poster / charts / memos / newsletters / written statements / work produce, to photographic evidence, minutes of meetings in which the subject of the unit has been discussed, explained and answered. These are cost effective ways of collecting evidence as they do not require a large amount of resources, they can be compiled during completion of other work and as you are completing these alongside other work there for you are making effective use of your time also.D)How to collect and use evidence form Learners’ prior experiences and achievements within the current assessment process.
It is important to collect and use evidence from a Learners’ prior experiences and achievements as cuts out duplication of work; If the Learner has had vast experience in a particular area it is pointless making them repeat tasks to generate new evidence when they already has more than enough proven evidence in their past. This helps speed up the learners’ progress and eliminates sections that the learner has proven they need no further training.E)How to develop and agree assessment plans with Learners and the other people involved. It is important to develop and agree plans with the people involved as it ensures everyone knows the requirements at the beginning and what is to be expected throughout the assessments.
It is essential to maintain communication between the parties involved so people know when they have dates in which things need to be completed and if they need to meet this forward planning means that the people can work their schedules around the upcoming events or assessments.F)How to accurately assess performance against specific parts of a standard. When assessing work it is important to accurately specify the learners’ performance against the standard because failure to do so could mean the learner having to produce more work than necessary as you have failed to fully credit they have already completed which can lead to deadlines being missed and work being reproduced unnecessarily.G)How to take appropriate action and help Learners develop their competence. It is important to understand when to take action and help Learners develop their competence as the whole point of assessing the Learners is to help them prove their knowledge and build any areas that they need more experience with. By focusing on these areas you help the Learner improve their confidence and competence, which in turn will help make them more competent in their day to day working life.
H)How to change assessment procedures to meet the individual needs of the Learner. When dealing with different people, there may be circumstances which affect the way in which they can work. This can range from learning difficulties, physical disabilities, eyesight problems or many other issues. When identifying these issues the way in which you generally conduct assessments may not be practical so you may need to change or adapt your assessments to enable the learners to work to the best of their ability given their circumstances.
I)How to identify the difficulties in making safe, fair, valid and reliable assessments of evidence and who to involve in such cases. Difficulties that can be encountered during assessments can be varied, from Learners’ who feel they have been under marked or unfairly treated to Learner’ that have produced evidence that seems suspicious or unreliable. It is important to involve the appropriate parties when dealing with these situations; such as the Learners supervisor and the Internal Verifier or someone of an appropriate position of authority to ensure that the complaints procedure is followed. This will make sure that the Learner has the issues properly examined and explained to them by a separate person to provide impartial comment. It will allow the evidence to be checked and a decision made regarding the case and how next to proceed.J)How to follow standardisation and internal quality assurance procedures.
It is essential to follow standardisation and internal quality assurance procedures as this helps to maintain the level of quality throughout your work and by continued quality assurance procedures you ensure any problems that occur are picked up before the product is sent out/used. It is a very important procedure which helps build good working practices with the people using them.K)How to measure existing levels of competence Existing level of competence can be measured through observations, witness testimonies, work product and oral questioning. These are valid, authentic, current and sufficient means to test levels of competence.
L)How to make valid and reliable assessments of Learner’s knowledge Valid and reliable assessments of Learners knowledge can be made through questioning as it is obtaining information directly from the candidate on various topics and the information the supply you is from their general knowledge and has not been rehearsed or information taken from other sources.M) How to make valid and reliable assessments of Learners Performance While making assessments of learner’s progress it is very important that the evidence provided is valid and reliable. A learner may provide many pages of evidence but if it does not tie in with the performance criteria required by that module it is of no use to the learner, therefore it is very important to make sure the learner know exactly what is required from the evidence they are to provide. Also when providing this evidence the learner needs to ensure it is current and all signed and dated with signatures that are matching the samples provided in the witness statement signature list.N)How to make sure you have covered all the agreed criteria during an assessment I can make sure I have covered all the agreed criteria during an assessment by referring to our prepared assessment plans and checking all the agreed content has been covered.
O)How to check that evidence is the Learners’ own work Learner’s evidence can be checked to ensure it is their own work by making sure that they sign and date all the evidence produced and then checking signatures and witness testimonies against the signature reference sheet.P)How to make sure that supporting evidence supplied by other people is reliable I can make sure the supporting evidence supplied is reliable by making sure it is current and getting it from reliable sources such as Supervisors, Line Managers and Team Leaders and checking the signatures on those documents against the samples provided in the witness testimony sheet.Q)How to encourage Learners to consider and use their past experience and achievements Learners can consider and use their past experience and achievements by gathering their prior qualifications and completed framework and seeing if it can be used to write off any of the modules for their current qualifications. Certain qualifications will cover unit evidence for the modules they have chosen, also when deciding upon units it is worth looking at this before hand as you may find you have alot more evidence for a particular unit due to previous achievements therefore lessen your work load considerably for your current NVQ.R)How to give constructive feedback on existing levels of competence and what Learners need to do to be fully competent It is important to give constructive feedback to Learner’s on existing levels of competence as it highlights areas they need to work on and helps encourage them towards their goal of achieving their qualification. By giving them feedback on their competence it gives them a realistic idea of how they have performed and allows them to build a personal development plan for any additional training they may need or feel would benefit them to help improve their competence in their current job.
S)How to involve Learners in planning assessments Involving Learner’s in planning assessments will aid the assessments as you can involve their current work in the evidence to be produced for the assessment, it can cut down on repetition and will help the Learner cover the required evidence in a quicker timeT)How to keep to the Data Protection Act It is important to know and follow the Data protection act as failure to do so could lead to serious recriminations The Data Protection Act gives individuals the right to know what information is held about them. It provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly.
