RPL+Questions+11+-+15

// 11. How do you incorporate the four dimensions of competency into your training and assessment? //

The main units I teach are web site design units, these require a set of skills and assessments are project based.

// Task skills // Practical projects give the students the opportunity to do job related tasks

// Task management skills // Projects have a number of different task that need to be completed for the project to reach conclusion, this gives the students to opportunity to manage a set of tasks

// Task Contingency skills // As each project has its own set of problems that need to be identified and resolved, the students develop problem solving skills

// Job role/work environment skills // The process of designing and building a web site is similar in the computer lab on campus as it is in the web industry

The research, client communication, design, pitching of ideas and then the building of the web site and testing are standard processes employed in the industry and reflected in the delivery and assessment of my web units.


 * Q12. **

// 12. How have you planned for Recognition of Prior Learning in your assessment process? //

At the beginning of each semester when I am doing the introduction to the unit, I talk about RPL, at this stage the students are already enrolled in my unit, but I ask questions about any prior experience they may have with the subject and invite them to talk to me about their skills.

If a student approaches me and believes they already have the skills I invite them to demonstrate their skills to me, I ask them to perform a set of tasks for me, such as setting up a small web site and incorporating the basic elements of good design and valid construction techniques. I am then able to determine if they have the skills or partial skills required for the unit. If they do I can deem them competent and keep their work as a record of assessment.

Sometimes it is clear that they have a subset of the skills but still require additional training, in this case I work out what parts of the unit they need to attend classes for and that combined with evidence they have provide can deem them competent at the completion of the training.

I realise this is more of an internal RPL, but students do tend to enrol in all units within a course and then realise they may have the prior experience.

// 13. What are, and explain how you have applied, the Principles of Assessment when planning for assessment? //

The principles of assessment are that an assessment must be reliable, fair, valid and flexible.

Reliable

This means that the assessment tool should give consistent results with students at the same level and experience. Before I give the students an assessment, I make sure I get the assessment validated. I ensure that the assessment is assessing the four dimensions of competency and design the assessment to reflect a work based task.

I validate my assessment tools to make sure they are appropriate. To determine if the tool is reliable I analyse the results of the assessment to see if the majority of the students passed. I moderate my assessments with fellow lecturers to ensure the assessment is giving the expected results.

Fair

An assessment must be fair to all the students that attempt it, there must be the ability to adjust an assessment in the cases of people with a disability or similar requirement. The language must be suitable for the level of assessment and the requirement of the unit and the assessment must asses and the correct AQF level. An assessment must clearly layout what evidence is required and the instruction need to be given out in a timely manner.

I have had students were visually challenged, to make sure they had a fair chance at the assessment I gave them the option of having the assessment in a large format font. I have also supplied the assessment tool in soft copy so their specialised software could make it easier for them to read. Where they have had to answer written questions I have given them the option of a verbal assessment where is askt he questions and they can answere verbally.

Valid

A valid assessment is one where the assessment is directly related to the unit of competency, its elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the critical aspects of evidence and follows the correct assessment methods as out lined in the unit. The assessment must be supported by the submission of correct evidence.

I have ensured my assessments are valid by mapping the assessment to the unit of competence. I have made sure that the assessment include the critical aspects of evidence, elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, and adhere to assessment methods.

I have validates my assessments and had professional conversations with industry representatives in regard to appropriate work task for assessment.

Flexible

There needs to be ability to modify and assessment by negotiation with a student for reasonable requests, for example the timing of an assessment for a working parent or a person with a disability.

I give my students an assessment plan at the beginning of the unit, I also give them the assessment instructions in the second week, I explain the assessment, how they will be assessed, what evidence I am looking for and when and where they will be assessed. I explain how the assessment task relates to the workplace and the context of the assessment. I have allowed students to negotiate their assessment timing when they have had problems with work or illness for example.

// 14. Explain how you plan to ensure that candidate evidence meets the four rules of evidence and how you collect different types of evidence (direct, indirect and supplementary)? //

// Authentic //

I explain to the students that I need to see their workflow to ensure that the evidence they submit is their own work (indirect). I also explain that while observing their workflow this gives me the opportunity to make suggestions to improve their work. Part of my assessment criteria is that I have observed workflow. In situation where I have not observed their workflow for reasons linked to flexibility arrangement for the unit, I often ask them to demonstrate a task for me (supplementary).

// Current //

This is about making sure the work is current and that their skills, knowledge and understanding are current. This is also linked to observation of workflow combined with the task that they perform.

// Sufficient //

To ensure that the amount of evidence is enough to make a judgement about competence I make sure that the students have more than one assessment. As the assessments are project based the tasks are repeated over time, the tasks are complete under different contexts, the final complete projects are then presented for assessment (direct). Ensuring the assessments are aligned to the UOC and covers the elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, critical aspects of evidence, assessment methods and dimensions of competency.

// Valid //

I map my assessment tools to the unit of competency I map the elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, critical aspects of evidence, assessment methods and employability skills. Then I use industry language to describe the tasks and evidence that is will be required to make a judgement about competence.


 * Q15. **

// 15. What provisions have you made for Reasonable Adjustments in your assessment activities? Provide an example of an actual reasonable adjustment you have made for a candidate. //

I give out a learner needs checklist at the start of each unit, at the beginning of the semester to allow students to identify if they require and assistance or have an problems that I can help them with.

The focus of my assessments is the evidence that the students will provide for an assessment decision to be made. While I give out assessment instruction, there is always room for reasonable adjustment. Types of adjustments that can be accommodated include extending time frames, alternative topics for the web assessments, for questioning aural questioning and answers can be used.

I have had a vision impaired student in my class and while he could manage on the computer with special software he did take longer to do his work. I had and assessment at the time that required answering questions and submitting the answers to me for assessing. With this student I took him aside and asked him the questions and allowed him to speak his answers to me, and gave him plenty of time to consider his answers, I had previously given him the questions in a very large font for his consideration so that he was prepared to answer them, it should be noted that this student did a very good job of answering the questions.