Compare And Contrast The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Assessors

Internal and external assessment requirements- what requirements do you need to follow in this area.

In my point of view feedback is an essential tool for learners’ progress. If the student is not assessing their work then they are not learning and given feedback are vital to ensure best practice is maintained and the learners are achieving to their full potential.

Feedback is a vital part of the assessment process as it gives the assessor an idea of if the learner has met the criteria set and if they haven’t, what action is needed to achieve the criteria.

The assessment strategy should state how the subject should be assessed, and subsequent results recorded. It should also state the experience, professional development and qualifications that assessors should hold. Quality assurance requirements, for example internal and external verification or moderation, will also be stated. Organisation may also have an assessment policy which an assessor should familiarise him/herself with.

With focus on the quality and standards of assessors to meet the learning needs of the candidates, where a lack of progress is highlighted or an inconsistency within assessments will result in further support for the assessment team, potentially in the form of further standardization

The assessor should record their assessment decision with the criteria met clearly identified. The assessor should follow procedure with regards to making this information available to authorised colleagues and should maintain confidentiality.

Many people have significant difficulty in accepting criticism in any form, even where it is intended to be supportive and constructive. If we are aware that you are likely to have difficulty accepting criticism, we should try to prepare ourselves to view feedback from any source as precious and useful information that can add to our ability to reflect effectively on our work. This is not easy, but it is essential.

Our process for internal quality assurance involves planning the units that will be sampled for each student. This is planned on an internal verification sampling plan (Evidence index 5) and we use the alphabetical listings and diagonal lines that cross the units to be sampled. If however, the units are infrequently selected then I will ensure that they are sampled and also with the new NVQ specification that has recently taken place then I would carry out a 100% check. We also like to carry out formative assessment as this is good practice and aids to our standardisation process in supporting all our assessors. Regarding support I always liaise with our more senior assessors and the external verifier to ensure I am continually meeting the quality standards required and they are always available to offer their assistance and advice. If we have a very inexperienced assessor or new assessor then the NVQ’s they assess would be sampled far deeper and more support would be given to them. I would ensure that I assess a variety of evidence ranging from Observations, Recorded discussions, Reflective accounts, Witness statements and Work products to list a few. I ensure that the levels and quantities of these are consistent, authentic, valid, and reliable especially regarding new standards.

It is extremely important to plan and prepare for IQA activities to ensure that all requirements are met. A quality calendar and regular team meetings with a clear and concise agenda would ensure that any necessary points are addressed in manageable amounts. We are a small team and work closely together but unless we adhere to the above, things can get overlooked or forgotten. As the courses we deliver are ITQ, we have to continuously monitor the learning and the assessments to ensure we are up to date with most recent software packages that our learners may be using; this is something that has been

Feedback is provided in relation to the assessment criteria (box on left) that were given to you with the assessment specification.

Directive types of feedback are used to provide clues that the quality assurance staff can use to device the best possible course of action. It is helpful in creating a non-confrontational and non-threatening environment from which to create positive change. Developmental types of feedback are similar to directive types, in that they empower the internal assessment and quality assurance staff to make decisions. Likewise, guidance is a good way to help steer quality assurance staff in the right direction. When it is strategic, signposting can also be helpful for improving quality outcomes.

In preparing for the assessment, it is important to explain the purpose of the assessment, explaining why it is

With all of the activities carried our by the learner (with or without the assessor) the assessor needs to make decisions on the learner's competence in relation to the requirements of the qualification. The assessor should make their judgements of success or not and provide constructive feedback to the learner in a way that best suits the individual. If any further action is necessary for the completion of the qualification criteria (i.e. more training, description of knowledge or other evidence of ability) then a further plan should be agreed to achieve this. All such information discussed and agreed should be recorded appropriately at each stage.

Regular reviews, target setting and referring to the initial assessments target setting is vital in ensuring a

In this evidence you will need to explain your understanding of the principles and requirements of your assessment practices. 1. Explain how peer and self assessment can be used to promote effective learner involvement in the assessment process, what are the benefits of learners taking ownership and responsibility for their learning journey:It is important to involve learners