An Introduction to Local Assessment for New Assessors

An Introduction to Local Assessment for New Assessors

The FESS team Name Location Role TBC CDETB Manager of FESS CDETB Support Officer for Dublin, Louth and Meath CETB Support Officer for Cork, Clare, Kerry and Limerick CMETB Support Officer for Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan, Sligo, Westmeath KWETB Support Officer for Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow TETB Support Officer for Galway, Laois, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary Finola Butler Catherine Crowley Siobhan Magee Mary Sheehy Jenny Whelan Take a few moments to check out www. fess. ie to familiarise yourself with the type of information on the site 2

Part 1 OVERVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS © 2020, Further Education Support Service 3

Assessment and Quality Assurance Take a few moments to refer to pages 5 and 6 of the document QQI – Who we are and what we do • • • Every provider is responsible for putting quality assurance (QA) systems in place to assure and improve the quality of education and training programmes they offer All assessors should be familiar with the provider’s relevant QA policies and procedures, including those relating to assessment QA policies, procedures and other related documentation may be available from the provider’s website, the QA Officer, members of the QA team/unit, or by other means It’s very important to inform yourself of the contents of the relevant parts of the provider’s QA system, including those relating to the assessment of the learner 4

Purpose of Assessment Guide to Assessment, Scottish Qualifications Authority, Nov 2009 Identify Strengths and Weaknesses Evaluate Performance Levels Monitor and Maintain Standards Plan Learning Provide Feedback to Learners Purpose Assessment of Learners Measure Individual Attainment Award Qualification Provide Information for Progression Options Provide Information to Employers/Ed. Providers Formative Assessment Summative Assessment 5

Key Stages in the Quality Assuring Assessment Process • Learners assessed by the assessor, in line with QA Internal Verification: policy and procedures • Results approval panel established by the provider • of Application of work assessment procedures verified • Portfolio assessment produced the. EA learner • IVbyand reports considered • marked Assessment results by monitored on a sample basis • Portfolio and graded the • assessor Results reviewed, approved and signed off • Quality assured assessment results • Internal submitted to QQI by provider/centre • Assessment result verification recorded report • produced Issuing of results to learners agreed • Certification requested by the • Documentation provided to the authentication • Submission of results to QQI agreed provider from QQI process • Results approval panel report produced External Authentication: • Assessment of learners consistent with national Requesting Certification Results Approval Process • (RAP) Assessment standards confirmed Learners facilitated by the provider to • Assessment of learners in line with QQI appeal a result and/or the requirements confirmed assessment process • External authentication report produced Authentication Process - Internal verification (IV) - External authentication (EA) © 2020, Further Education Support Service Appeals Process 6

Key Stages in the Quality Assuring Assessment Process As the assessor, you have a role at the beginning of the assessment process. Therefore it is important that the role of the assessor is carried out correctly so that the subsequent stages of the process, i. e. the authentication process, the results approval process, the appeals process and the requesting of certification can all run as smoothly as possible. It is also reassuring to know that as the assessor, there a number of checks and balances that occur throughout the assessment process, and after the local assessment piece, that will confirm that learners have been fairly and consistently assessed, in line with the provider’s QA system. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 7

The Role of the Assessor • Implement the provider’s relevant assessment policy and procedures • Provide opportunities for the learner to generate evidence for assessment and certification purposes • Design assessment instruments (briefs/examination papers) • Devise marking schemes • Review and judge the learner evidence • Make an assessment decision and mark the evidence • Record results • Provide information and feedback to the learner Take a few moments to refer to Section 3. 1. 2, The Assessor, of the QQI Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers © 2020, Further Education Support Service 8

Part 2 ENSURING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE STANDARD (NFQ LEVELS 1 – 6) © 2020, Further Education Support Service 9

Where can I learn about standards? • Grid of Level Indicators for the National Framework of Qualifications • Standards as indicated in the award specification • Validated Programme • QQI Grading Criteria © 2020, Further Education Support Service 10

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) 11

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Interpreting the Grid of Level Indicators Knowledge Breadth How extensive is the knowledge demonstrated by the learner? Knowledge Kind What nature and quality of knowing is involved? Know-How and Skill Range How extensive are the skills required of the learner? Know-How and Skill Selectivity How complicated are the tasks performed by the learner? How does the learner tackle the tasks? Competence Context In what situation will the competence be applied/evidenced by the learner? Competence Role What part will the learner take when carrying out a task? How much responsibility will be placed on the learner? Competence Learning to Learn To what extent can the learner identify gaps in learning and fill those gaps? Competence Insight How much has the learner integrated their learning into self-identity and interactions with others? © 2020, Further Education Support Service 13

Synopsis of the NFQ Level Outcomes … adapted from Determinations for the Outline of the NFQ (www. qqi. ie) Level 1 The learning outcomes relate to the: • Performance of basic tasks in a controlled environment under supervision • Ability to learn information and basic repetitive tasks • Sequencing learning tasks Level 2 The learning outcomes relate to: • Basic literacy and numeracy • The ability to learn new skills and knowledge in a supervised environment • Carrying out routine work under direction • Developing the learner Level 3 The learning outcomes relate to: • A low volume of practical capability and knowledge of theory • Relatively simple work • Learning that is fairly quickly acquired • Functional literacy and numeracy Level 4 The learning outcomes relate to: • a growing sense of responsibility for participating in public life and shaping one’s own life • First time entry to many occupational sectors Level 5 The learning outcomes relate to: • A broad range of skills • Some theoretical understanding • Engaging in a specific activity • Capacity to use instruments and techniques related to an occupation • Work being undertaken independently, under general direction Level 6 The learning outcomes relate to: • A comprehensive range of skills that are vocationally specific and/or of a general supervisory nature • Detailed theoretical understanding • A particular focus on learning skills • Working in a generally autonomous way to assume design and/or management and/or administrative 14 responsibilities Independence is the hallmark of this level

Take a few moments to work through the following tasks, now, and later as you devise assessment instruments and related documentation and begin to mark and grade the learner’s assessment evidence • Read through the synopsis of the NFQ level outcomes on the previous slide and highlight the key words associated with the level(s) relevant to you • Study the Grid of Level Indicators that relate to the level(s) relevant to you and tease out what each statement means for delivery and also assessment • Study the statements relating to knowledge, know-how and skill and competence at the levels above and below the level relevant to you to clarify your context • Consider the statements in the grid and ask yourself the following questions, in relation to the level relevant to you: – – How much learner autonomy is appropriate? How complex should the assessment tasks set for the learner be? What volume of evidence should the learner be producing for assessment? What key types of knowledge, skills and competences should the learner be demonstrating in their assessment evidence? © 2020, Further Education Support Service 15

Where can I learn about standards? ü Grid of Level Indicators for the National Framework of Qualifications • Standards as indicated in the QQI award specification • Validated Programme • QQI Grading Criteria © 2020, Further Education Support Service 16

QQI Award Specifications For Further Education and Training (FET) awards: • QQI determines the standards of knowledge, skill and competence for an award • The standards may be expressed as learning outcomes in: – award specifications (Common Awards System (CAS)) – the majority of QQI FET awards are within the CAS – professional award type descriptors (Apprenticeships) • Award standards will be in line with the National Framework of Qualifications Grid of Level Indicator statements • Assessment for QQI awards is criterion referenced so learners are assessed and the assessment judgement is made based on whether the learner has reached the required national standards of knowledge, skill and/or competence for the award (Section 2, Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers) © 2020, Further Education Support Service 17

The QQI Common Awards System (CAS) • CAS award specifications are published on www. qqi. ie under the Awards Information link (on the home page, under I am looking for …) • There are four types of awards: – – Major: A Certificate Specification is published for each named major award Minor: A Component Specification is published for each named minor award Special Purpose: A Specific Purpose Specification is published for each named special purpose award Supplemental: A Supplemental Specification is published for each named supplemental award • It is very important for those with a role in delivery of programmes and modules, and the assessment of learners, to be familiar with the contents of the relevant award specification(s) Please note: sometimes providers refer to module(s) as programme module(s). For the purposes of this presentation we will refer to module(s) and this can be taken to mean programme module(s). © 2020, Further Education Support Service 18

What key information is contained in the Certificate Specification? Title & Code Level Credit Value Purpose Statements of Knowledge, Skill and Competence Certificate Requirements Assessment Specific Validation Requirements © 2020, Further Education Support Service 19

What key information is contained in the Component Specification? Title & Code Level The learning outcomes in the component specification are a key piece of information that an assessor needs to study and understand Learning Outcomes General Assessment Information Credit Value Purpose Assessment Technique(s) & Weighting Specific Validation Requirements © 2020, Further Education Support Service 20

Sample Learning Outcomes NFQ Levels 1 -6 • • NFQ Level 1 Craft M 1 A 19 Construct a simple craft items with support NFQ Level 2 Craft M 2 A 19 Construct a simple craft item according to instructions/plan/directions NFQ Level 3 Craft-Woodwork 3 N 1050 Make a range of craft products in two or three dimensions to include selecting appropriate materials, equipment and processes and paying attention to costs NFQ Level 4 Woodcraft 4 N 3185 Complete a range of woodwork assignment planning and design tasks to include compiling a materials requirement list, selecting materials, interpreting a design brief with the aid of sketches and producing design solutions and working procedures for specific tasks NFQ Level 5 Furniture Making 5 N 1275 Respond to a given brief to produce an item of furniture NFQ Level 6 Furniture Making and Machinery 6 N 0607 Supervise and manage a team while producing an item of furniture to include development of schedules and allocation of resources and labour Learning outcomes are precise, clear statements of what the learner is expected to know, be able to do and understand at the end of a learning process or sequence They focus on the learning and learner They communicate to educators, learners and other stakeholders the essential knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviours and attitudes that a successful learner will demonstrate They are assessable and indicate to the assessor what the learner has to demonstrate in an assessment task, be that through an assignment, a collection of work, an examination, a learner record, a project or a skills demonstration 21

Take time to download and read the entire award specification(s) that are relevant to your provision • • • Note the credit value of the award – the higher the credit value the greater the volume of learning required of the learner Read the purpose of the award Familiarise yourself with the exact contents of the learning outcomes. Learning outcomes will have an action verb, followed by the object of the verb followed by the indication of the context. Take particular notice of the verb at the beginning of the outcome as it is that will guide you when devising your assessment instrument. For example, will the learner be required to “list” something, or “explain” something, or “examine” something, or “construct” something, and so on – Take note where the learning outcome includes reference to “for example”, or “e. g. ” or “to include” or “including”. Where an “example” is included in a learning outcome, it is to provide suggestions for teaching and assessment activities. Where “to include” or “including” is present in a learning outcome, then it is expected that teaching and assessment activities comprise the relevant items that are included in the learning outcome • Note the assessment techniques and weightings listed. Descriptions of the 6 assessment techniques are provided in Sections 3. 3. 3 to 3. 3. 8 of QQI Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers • Take note of the detail regarding Specific Validation Requirements and ensure that they are in place before teaching and assessing of learners begins © 2020, Further Education Support Service 22

Where can I learn about standards? ü Grid of Level Indicators for the National Framework of Qualifications ü Standards as indicated in the QQI award specification • Validated Programme • QQI Grading Criteria © 2020, Further Education Support Service 23

Further Education and Training … many journeys, one destination On slide 17 we noted that FET awards are determined and made by QQI and that they include a statement of standards, i. e. what needs to be achieved by the learner. In many ways then the QQI award is the destination for the learner. The journey that is undertaken by the learner to acquire the standard of the award then is called the programme. The programme is: – Developed by the provider/group of providers – The process by which the learner acquires the required standard of the award – Comprises and describes the learning package offered by the provider which enables the learner to reach the standards of knowledge, skill and competence of the award QQI will validate a programme (give permission to the provider to offer a programme) when QQI is satisfied that the programme described by the provider will give the learner the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate the relevant knowledge, skill and competence to justify the named QQI award © 2020, Further Education Support Service 24

Programme Descriptor There should be a programme descriptor available from the provider for every programme validated by QQI for that provider. As the assessor, it is very important to be familiar with the contents of the programme descriptor(s) relevant to your provision. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 25

Module Included alongside/within the provider’s programme descriptor will be the programme’s modules. As the assessor, it is very important to be familiar with the contents of the module(s) relevant to your provision. Please note: You must be in possession of a module that has been validated by QQI for the provider you are working for, before you can teach and/or assess the learner. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 26

Take time to read and familiarise yourself with the module(s) that are relevant to your provision • Familiarise yourself with the indicative content • Note the assessment techniques and weightings that you will be using to assess learners • Study the mapping of learning outcomes to specific assessment techniques/tasks • Read the detail concerning how the learner should be assessed and over what duration of time. This detail should be contained in a section on assessment guidelines • Familiarise yourself with the assessment criteria. This is often presented on learner marking sheets and will form the basis of your marking scheme which we will look at later © 2020, Further Education Support Service 27

Where can I learn about standards? ü Grid of Level Indicators for the National Framework of Qualifications ü Standards as indicated in the QQI award specification ü Validated Programme • QQI Grading Criteria © 2020, Further Education Support Service 28

QQI Grading Criteria • QQI grading criteria are contained in Section 3. 6. 1 of the QQI Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers • The criteria describe what a successful learner must attain to achieve a particular grade for an award at a particular NFQ level • At NFQ levels 1 to 3, criteria are provided for the learner who may achieve a grade of Successful • At NFQ levels 4 to 6, criteria are provided for the learner who may achieve a grade of Pass, Merit or Distinction • The QQI grading criteria are a useful reference when devising assessment instruments and marking schemes. They are also a useful reference when marking learner assessment evidence. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 29

QQI Grading Criteria: NFQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 Level 1 • Structured and supported environment • • Level 2 Level 3 • Structured and supported setting • Some supervision and direction Significant support and direction • Clear direction • Demonstrated autonomy of action Some achievement on the learner’s own • Some autonomy of action • • Limited responsibility for generating evidence Taken responsibility for generating appropriate evidence 30

QQI Grading Criteria: NFQ Levels 4, 5 and 6 Pass (50% - 64%) • achieved the learning outcomes as outlined in the minor award to the minimum acceptable standard • used the language of the vocational area competently Merit (65% - 79%) Distinction (80% - 100%) • achieved the learning outcomes as • achieved the learning outcomes outlined in the minor award to a good standard as outlined in the minor award to an excellent standard • used the language of the vocational area with a degree of fluency • used the language of the vocational area fluently & confidently • attempted to apply theory • expressed and developed ideas and concepts appropriately clearly • demonstrated in-depth understanding of the subject matter • demonstrated a high level of initiative and evaluation skills • demonstrated initiative, evaluation • demonstrated analytical and analytical skills reflective thinking • provided sufficient evidence • provided coherent and which has relevance and clarity comprehensive evidence • expressed and developed ideas clearly and comprehensively • provided coherent, detailed and 31 focused evidence

Part 3 DEVISING LOCAL ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS AND RELATED DOCUMENTATION © 2020, Further Education Support Service 32

Assessment Instruments An assessment instrument is a document that records the detail relating to the specific assessment activity/task or question(s) devised by the assessor based on the information contained in the relevant module The design of assessment instrument(s) must: • be appropriate to the assessment technique and be fit for purpose • allow the learner to generate sufficient evidence • enable evidence to be generated which can be measured against the learning outcomes outlined in the award specification • enable reliable assessment decisions by assessors • be selected to make the best use of available resources Further information is provided in Section 3. 3 QQI Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers © 2020, Further Education Support Service 33

Assessment Instruments and Related Documentation • • • An assessment brief must be developed whenever the learner is being assessed using an assignment, a collection of work, a learner record, a project and/or a skills demonstration An assessment brief must be accompanied by a marking scheme where the learner is undertaking assessment at NFQ levels 4 to 6. There is no marking scheme required at NFQ levels 1 to 3 because the work of the learner is graded as Successful or else it is referred back to the learner for additional attention where the standard has not been demonstrated An examination paper must be developed whenever the learner is being assessed using an examination and it must be accompanied by a marking scheme and set of outline solutions © 2020, Further Education Support Service 34

Devising an Assessment Instrument Mirror the Assessment Guidelines from the module Consider the learning outcomes mapped Ensure that the assessment criteria are reflected Reflect the NFQ Grid of Level Indicators Reflect the QQI grading criteria Structure the instrument so that it is clear and coherent Please read handout number 7 from the An Introduction to Local Assessment page on www. fess. ie © 2020, Further Education Support Service 35

Questions that may arise when writing an assessment instrument …… • For a collection of work – how many briefs should I use? Unless otherwise stated in the relevant module, you may decide to devise one brief that covers all the tasks in the collection of work, or you may decide to devise one brief per task. Your decision may be informed by the number of tasks in the collection of work, the NFQ level you are assessing at, the profile of the learner, the duration of the module and so on • For a skills demonstration – what sort of evidence is appropriate? It is very important that there is evidence to support any mark and/or grade assigned to the learner by an assessor. Those with a role in the authentication process (see slide 6) will require sight of learner assessment evidence for each assessment technique. Appropriate evidence may take the form of photographs, audio/video recordings, completed and detailed task lists, etc. • Can I use a role play in place of a real skills demonstration? Yes, unless otherwise stated in the relevant module. If it is appropriate to use role play in place of a real skills demonstration and if the role play will afford the learner an opportunity to demonstrate the skills and competences that they have to demonstrate then it is acceptable to use role play in place of a real skills demonstration • Would it be helpful to agree a “house-style” in my provider/centre for the presentation of learner’s work? It may be helpful for the learner undertaking more than one module if all the assessment work that they are producing across modules can be presented using the same style, formatting etc. This is not a QQI requirement though and therefore may be something to discuss and agree, as appropriate, per centre and/or provider © 2020, Further Education Support Service 36

Review the two sample briefs available for download on the webpage supporting this PD session Consider: • Is the language used appropriate to the NFQ level of the award? Are there changes that you would make? • Are the briefs clear and logical? • Is it clear what the learner must do? • Does it include all the necessary information to allow the learner maximise their chances of achieving the best grade they can? © 2020, Further Education Support Service 37

Examinations • • • Examinations are an assessment technique most commonly found at NFQ levels 4 to 6 Information relating to examinations can be found in Section 3. 3. 7 of QQI Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers Examinations require a fixed timeframe and a sight unseen paper. The examination paper will be devised in line with the guidelines in the relevant module. These guidelines will indicate the duration of the examination, the format of the examination and the question types to be used to assess the learner Practical and theory-based examinations are the most common types of examinations used to assess the learner In the case of theory-based examinations there are four different types of question types: – – Short answer questions (very commonly used) Structured questions (very commonly used) Essay type questions (rarely used) Multiple choice questions (rarely used)

Short answer questions: • Easy to set and mark • Seek a direct response • Refer to particular learning outcomes • The verb used in the examination question should match the level of cognitive skill of the learning outcome • Assess basic recall and understanding • The marks allocated should match the number of elements required, or be easily divisible, for the purposes of marking, for example, List 2 elements of … (2 marks / 2 = 1 mark each), List 4 elements of … (2 marks/4 = 0. 5 marks each) • Sometimes an assessor may allocate a certain amount of space on the examination paper/answer booklet to indicate to the learner the length of answer required Example of a short answer question: Identify four key roles of the family in society __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 marks © 2020, Further Education Support Service 39

Structured Questions Structured questions: • Will ideally be made up of 3 parts, part (a), part (b), part (c) • The parts should increase in level of difficulty, for example, part (a) could focus on recall, part (b) could focus on understanding and part (c) could focus on application • The parts may be related, but they should be independent of each other. In other words if the learner does not know the answer to part (a) of a question, it should not preclude the learner from being able to attempt part (b) and part (c) of the question • The marks should be allocated according to the level of difficulty of each part • The marks for each part of the question should be indicated on the paper • The structured question could be based on a scenario Example of a structured question: A) Identify four key roles and functions of the family in society 4 marks B) Describe three changes that have taken place in the family as a social unit within an Irish context in the previous 20 years 6 marks C) Analyse the implications of marital breakdown on the roles and functions of the family as a social 40 unit

Once you have drafted the assessment instrument(s) for the module that you are teaching and assessing the learner in, work through the questions on the next two slides, slides 42 and 43, and review what you have devised. Also refer to the sample assessment briefs available for download on the website. Make any necessary changes to your draft assessment instrument(s), in line with the questions on slides 42 and 43 © 2020, Further Education Support Service 41

Points worth noting. . . Structure and word the assessment instrument (brief/examination paper) so that it is clear and coherent. Consider: • Does the assessment instrument mirror the assessment guidelines from the module? The assessment guidelines in the module must be adhered to by the assessor when devising the assessment instrument • Does the assessment instrument reflect the mapped learning outcomes? The learner must be given the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of all the learning outcomes, across all the summative assessment tasks, across the module. The module will indicate which learning outcomes are mapped to which assessment technique/task so the assessor should take care to ensure that all learning outcomes mapped to a particular assessment technique/task are catered for in the relevant assessment instrument • Are the assessment criteria reflected in the assessment instrument? The learner must be informed about how their assessment evidence will be marked (NFQ levels 4 -6) or graded (NFQ levels 1 -3). For this reason the assessment criteria, as listed in the module, must be reflected in the assessment instrument • Does the assessment instrument reflect the appropriate level on the NFQ – consider the Grid of Level Indicators? Look over the statements relating to knowledge, know-how and skill and competence from the grid and ensure that the assessment instrument is consistent with the autonomy, level of complexity, volume of learning and type of learning required at the relevant NFQ level • Have the QQI grading criteria been considered? Has all the necessary information been included to allow the learner maximise their chances of achieving the best grade they can? Refer to the description of what the learner must attain and demonstrate in order to achieve a particular grade for a particular NFQ level in the grading criteria to ensure that the assessment instrument is fit for purpose © 2020, Further Education Support Service 42

Points worth noting (contd. ) … Structure and word the assessment instrument (brief/examination paper) so that it is clear and coherent. Consider: • Will the language used be understood by the learner? The language used in the QQI award specification and the related module does not have to be the same language used in the assessment brief/examination paper. However, it should be noted that at all times language appropriate to the vocational area should be used • Are the guidelines clear? If you were the learner reading the guidelines, could you follow them? Do the guidelines make sense? Is it clear what the learner is being asked to do? If you are unsure, you could ask a colleague to read through the assessment instrument so see are the guidelines clear to them • Is it logical? If there is an obvious order in which to carry out the task, present the information in the assessment instrument in that order also • Do I have to include reference to which learning outcome(s) are being assessed in the assessment instrument? This is not a QQI requirement. However, the provider’s assessment instrument template may include a requirement to include this information. If not, you may still decide to include reference to the learning outcomes in the assessment instrument as a way of mapping the learning outcomes and also ensuring that every learning outcome is included across all assessment tasks © 2020, Further Education Support Service 43

Additional points to note … Remember that the assessment instrument(s) in the form of an assessment brief and/or examination paper must be available to the learner and also the authentication process. At NFQ levels 1 and 2 it is unlikely that the learner will be completing assessment tasks independently. For this reason the assessor will sometimes not hand out an assessment brief but instead may read through the brief with the learner or give the learner verbal instruction as to what is required for a particular assessment task. In this case however a printed copy of the brief will still have to be available to the authentication process. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 44

Part 4 MAKING ASSESSMENT JUDGEMENTS/DECISIONS © 2020, Further Education Support Service 45

Assessment Instruments and Related Documentation • • As previously noted on slide 34, an assessment brief must be accompanied by a marking scheme where the learner is undertaking assessment at NFQ levels 4 to 6. There is no marking scheme required at NFQ levels 1 to 3 because the work of the learner is graded as Successful or else it is referred back to the learner for additional attention where the standard has not been demonstrated For an examination paper, a marking scheme and a set of outline solutions must be developed © 2020, Further Education Support Service 46

Points worth noting … • A marking scheme sets out the specific assessment points against which the learner evidence is judged • The marking scheme is applied by the assessor to determine how successfully the learner has demonstrated the achievement of a learning outcome • The marking scheme must be consistent with the assessment criteria, the learning outcomes mapped to the assessment technique/task in question, the assessment guidelines in the module and the assessment instrument (examination paper/assessment brief) • Ideally the marking scheme (and the outline solutions for an examination) should be developed at the same time as the assessment instrument is being devised - to allow for the assessment instrument to be modified if necessary or any gaps/inconsistencies between the assessment instrument and marking scheme to be ironed out before the assessment instrument is issued to the learner • It may be easier to develop a marking scheme that is based on a multiple of the marks listed as part of the assessment criteria, and then divide the learner’s mark by that multiple to ascertain the actual mark for the learner. For example, if there is an assessment task worth 20 marks, as the assessor you may devise a marking scheme based on 100 marks, mark the learner’s work and then divide the learner’s mark for the assessment task by 5 to calculate the actual mark for the learner. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 47

Devising a Marking Scheme Mirrors marking sheet from the module… Check that it covers what has been included in the assessment instrument Tease out the assessment criteria to reflect the detail in assessment instrument Break down or allocate the marks within the assessment criteria Please read handout number 9 from the An Introduction to Local Assessment page on www. fess. ie © 2020, Further Education Support Service 48

Making Assessment Judgements/Decisions Things to remember/consider: • Are you sure that this is the learner’s own work? If there is evidence, or a concern, that the work is not that of the learner’s, refer to the provider’s relevant QA procedure(s) to guide you in how to deal with this scenario. Please see the following slide about reliability of learner evidence also • Ensure your decisions are objective and based on the evidence submitted? The consistent application of a marking scheme should ensure that all assessment decisions are objective and based on the evidence submitted by the learner. The learner should only be marked on their summative assessment evidence. Formative assessment evidence or class work should not be taken into account when marking and grading the learner for certification purposes • You must mark/grade against the standard, not against the best learner in the group As mentioned in slide 17, assessment for QQI awards is criterion referenced meaning that if the learner has demonstrated the required knowledge, skill and/or competence, then the learner should be given the relevant mark • Does the provider have a procedure on marking learner assessment evidence? The provider may have a procedure for marking learner assessment evidence and this should be applied by the assessor. Please note: all the summative assessment evidence produced by the learner for certification purposes must be marked and graded, and available to the authentication process. Each page of the assessment evidence must be marked clearly by the assessor © 2020, Further Education Support Service 49

Reliability of Learner Evidence Some key points: • It is important to be familiar with the provider’s procedure on plagiarism (“the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own” (www. lexico. com)) • As the assessor, take note of instances where different assessment tasks have been completed using different writing styles, standards of grammar/spelling, etc. This may indicate plagiarism • Where plagiarism has been detected, action should be taken, in line with the provider’s procedure • In all cases, issues of plagiarism should be dealt with before the authentication process • From the beginning of a programme/module, the learner should be made aware of the repercussions of presenting work that is not their own for certification purposes • The FESS Referencing Handbook for the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector may be a useful resource to share with the learner who does not know how to reference correctly • Section 3. 2. 4 of the QQI Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers, contains useful information on reliability of learner evidence 50

In summary … • All assessors should be familiar with the provider’s relevant QA policies and procedures, including those relating to assessment. In the event that you have further questions about the provider’s QA process, please contact the provider’s QA Officer or a member of the QA team, as appropriate • Local assessment is part of a bigger assessment process so care should be taken to ensure that the role of the assessor is carried out correctly so that the subsequent stages of the process, i. e. the authentication process, the results approval process, the appeals process and the requesting of certification can all run as smoothly as possible • www. fess. ie contains a number of resources that may be useful to you in your role as assessor. Please check these out under the Resource Library tab • The Further Education Support Service offer a suite of professional development opportunities throughout the year. Please read more about these under the Professional Development link on www. fess. ie Thank you for taking the time to work through this Powerpoint presentation. Please note any issues that you require clarification on, for discussion during the 2 hour live workshop. © 2020, Further Education Support Service 51