UNPACKING THE VALIDATION PROCESS Nadia Casarotto / Cheryl Bartolo 10 June 2015

OVERVIEW OF CGEA PD SERIES THEME: ASSESSMENT VALIDATION Session 1: An overview of the validation process (10 June) Session 2: Benchmarking assessment criteria (29 September) Session 3: Making the assessment judgement (19 November)

To improve assessment processes and outcomes for the learner WHY DO IT? To improve assessment processes and outcomes for the learner To meet regulatory requirements: Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 (SRTOs) Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF)

WHAT IS VALIDATION ABOUT? Validation is a quality review process REVIEW OF WHAT? Assessment policies and procedures Assessment tools: do the assessments produce the required evidence for the unit/s? do the assessments enable reasonable and consistent judgements?

THE BIG PICTURE

WHAT SHOULD BE VALIDATED? Assessment tools - unit of competency/cluster of units/partial unit - assessment tasks - assessment criteria - assessment outcomes (judgements)

HOW? Assessment Validation Procedure Develop assessment validation plan Plan and prepare for validation meeting Participate in validation meeting and document improvements Make improvements to tools as per validation outcomes and record these have been actioned

HOW? At the organisational level Develop and implement an assessment validation procedure Develop and implement a validation plan: when assessment validation will occur which training products will be the focus of the validation who will lead and participate in validation activities how the outcomes of these activities will be documented and acted upon (continuous improvement log)

HOW? At the organisational level Develop validation tool to record validation outcomes Identify number of assessments to be validated Develop and implement procedure to make and record improvements arising from validation sessions who is responsible time frames how actions will be recorded

HOW? (Validators) Confirm the units to be validated according to your organisation’s validation plan Ensure all assessment tools and selected student assessment outcomes related to the unit/s are available Note taker completes validation report for each task validated Record suggested improvements/actions to be made according to your organisation’s procedures Sign validation report ?

WHEN? Before conducting the assessment After conducting the assessment (Moderation) At least once every five years (SRTOs) As per organisational validation plan (SRTOs) Systematic (AQTF)

WHERE? Teacher Network meetings such as the CGEA Champions Communities of Practice Staff meetings Professional Development sessions

THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY Industry does not need to be directly involved in the validation process (SRTOs and AQTF) Industry must be involved in the development of the Training and Assessment Strategy (SRTOs and AQTF) Who is the industry for the CGEA? teacher networks pathway destination staff professional associations e.g. VALBEC, ACAL community organisations school communities e.g. family literacy

THE ROLE OF TRAINERS & ASSESSORS One or more persons who are not directly involved in the particular instance of delivery and assessment of the training product being validated (SRTOs) persons who have: vocational competencies and current industry skills relevant to the assessment being validated (see CGEA curriculum) current knowledge and skills in vocational teaching and learning the training and assessment qualification or assessor skill set referred to in the SRTOs and the AQTF

WORKSHOP In groups consider: How does your organisation currently approach assessment validation? Who is your industry and how could you involve them in the development of your Training and Assessment Strategy What can you do at the practitioner level to improve validation outcomes? What issues you have encountered in validation sessions for the CGEA? How can these issues be addressed?

RESOURCES ASQA validation fact sheet http://www.asqa.gov.au/news-and-publications/publications/fact-sheets/conducting-validation1.html Standards for registered Training Organisation’s 2015 http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2014L01377 Australian Qualifications Training Framework(AQTF) http://www.industry.gov.au/skills/NationalStandards/Pages/StandardsfornonreferringstatesAustralianQualificationTrainingFramework.aspx

CMM CONTACT DETAILS Nadia Casarotto: 9919 5300 nadia.casarotto@vu.edu.au Cheryl Bartolo: 9919 5302 cheryl.bartolo@vu.edu.au