Assessment Strategy, Version 1. VRQ Qualification. Level 4 Certificate in Waste and Resource Management. Assessment Strategy. Version 2, June

Transcription

1 Assessment Strategy, Version 1 VRQ Qualification Level 4 Certificate in Waste and Resource Management Assessment Strategy Version 2, June

2 Contents 1. Guidance and Assessment Strategy People and terminology involved in the VRQ delivery, assessment and quality assurance process Unit Achievement and Timescales Assessing the unit assignment: Moderation of Assessment for the Unit Assignment(s)... 8 Appendix 1: Form for Submission of Unit Results for VRQ... 9 Appendix 2: Authenticity Form for VRQ Unit Assessments Appendix 3: Glossary of Words used in the Assessment/ Marking Criteria Notes

3 1. Guidance and Assessment Strategy The Level 4 Certificate in Waste and Resource Management (QCF) is delivered as a VRQ style qualification (the term VRQ is used to differentiate the qualification from a total competence based e.g. NVQ type qualification). It is made up of a total of 6 Units. Units 1 to 5 are Mandatory Units and Unit 6 has six versions of which the learner must choose one: 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e and 6f currently. Further options may be added at a later date. The relevant Unit 6 is chosen to match the site requirements of the learner. Further details can be found in the Award Structure and copies of the individual units. Each Unit will usually be taught in a classroom/e-learning environment with the Learning Outcomes for each unit assessed by a written assignment issued by the Centres following WAMITAB approval.. Each assignment will cover one unit. A proportion of the assignments will be based on an appropriate sustainable waste management facility (usually the learner s site, existing or proposed). Where learners do not have a proposed or existing site, the assignment should be based on a site with which they are familiar. If the learner wishes to use RPL to exclude them from the need to have teaching then they will just be asked to do the assignment for each unit. However it is extremely important for centres to discuss the content and outcomes with the learner to ensure they do not require participation in the learning before assessment. The completed Unit Assignments should be submitted for internal assessment and quality assurance, preferably electronically. Once they have been assessed and internally moderated they will be submitted to the External Moderator. This submission must be electronically. If they are originally submitted to the centre in a written format, the centre must scan them into a digital format so they can be submitted to the External Moderator. Successful completion of the Certificate will be achieved when the learner attains ALL Assessment Criteria for every Unit. (Units 1-5 plus the relevant Unit 6 ) Centres should ensure that learners understand the taught and tested approach to this qualification. If necessary literacy and numeracy should be checked to ensure achievement is possible, and supplementary skills development qualifications offered where basic skills do not allow learners to fulfil the necessary requirements for assessment by assignment. If the learner has any disabilities, or barriers are perceived which may make the standard assessment procedure unacceptable, then it is possible for the Centre to request an appropriate Reasonable Adjustment. Requirements for Reasonable Adjustment should be discussed with the relevant External Moderator for each learner affected. A Reasonable Adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Each year centres will also come together for a standardisation session led by the WAMITAB External Moderators to ensure standards are maintained across centres and across the units. 3

4 2. People and terminology involved in the VRQ delivery, assessment and quality assurance process Trainer: the person who delivers the learning on behalf of the centre. The trainer must not be the person who does the final assessment for the unit they deliver. The trainer should have the appropriate knowledge base and must demonstrate regular CPD to ensure an up to date knowledge of the technical content and the assessment for this qualification. The trainer may also act as a mentor/supporter for the learner and be involved in checking drafts of the assessment or if the learner fails to achieve the LOs. (See further detail later in this document). Assessor: The assessment or marking of candidate output must be undertaken by suitably qualified and competent assessors, who are not the tutors or the individuals responsible for delivering learning material to the candidate being assessed. Each assessor should maintain professional competence by an effective programme of recorded Continuing Professional Development. The assessor must also have an appropriate assessor qualification, and though it is not a requirement for assessors to hold the most recent version of the assessor qualification, it is considered best practice for assessors to have achieved the relevant VRQ assessment unit: Level 3 Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding or the L3 Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement. Alternatively, assessors may hold appropriate teaching qualifications, recognised to give them Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Qualifications such as Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS), Qualified Teacher Learning Skills (QTLS), and Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) will be acceptable, though these are not a regulatory requirement for assessment of these qualifications provided that the assessor has an alternative assessor qualification. All assessors, regardless of qualification background, should assess according to the standards set by Level 3 Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding. The Assessor must not be the trainer who delivered the unit content. Internal Moderator: An Internal Moderator is someone appointed by the Centre to internally moderate the Assessment standards and accuracy of the marker. This should be done by a complete re- Assessment of a sample of the work using the Assessment content and requirements. It is completely different from the Internal Verification process used for NVQ/QCF qualifications, as its purpose is to ensure consistency and accuracy of the actual Assessment using the Assessment criteria. Moderation should happen as soon as possible after the initial Assessment so that certification is not held up. The moderation should be recorded and made available to the External Moderator at the next visit or earlier if requested. Internal Moderators must hold a relevant Internal Verifier qualification to ensure that the complete reassessment of a sample is done to recognised standards. Whilst it is not a regulatory requirement to hold the most recent version of this qualification, it is considered best practice for Internal Moderators to have achieved the relevant VRQ quality assurance unit: Level 4 Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment 4

5 Alternatively, internal moderators may hold appropriate teaching qualifications, recognised to give them Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Qualifications such as Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS), Qualified Teacher Learning Skills (QTLS), and Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) will be acceptable, though these are not a regulatory requirement for internal moderation of these qualifications provided that the internal moderator has an alternative internal verifier qualification. All Internal Moderators, regardless of qualification background, should quality assure to the standards set by the unit L4 Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment. External Moderator: someone appointed by WAMITAB to sample the assessment of the Unit Assignments to ensure consistency of assessment and proper application of the Assessment requirements. This person may also be the Centre EV although that is not always the case. Centres will be told who the External Moderator is for their VRQ. This person will receive the Unit Results form and then request learner work for sampling. Centres should liaise with the External Moderator to determine sample size. The External Moderator should quality assure to the standards of Level 4 Externally Assure the Quality of Assessment. Authentication For each Unit Assignment the learner is required to sign an authentication statement declaring the work as their own (see Annex to this document). When assessing the unit assignments assessors should look carefully for authenticity and plagiarism issues. If there is any thought that the work is not that of the learner, e.g. because the language used changes throughout the unit assignment, then the assessor should require the learner to have a discussion regarding some of the content to ensure that there are no plagiarism issues. If the language issue is raised then the course trainer, who may be better placed to compare the learner s usual language style to that used in the assignment, can be consulted by the assessor. Equally it is useful for the work of learners from the same site or location to be carefully checked against each other for plagiarism. Pasting un-referenced answers into internet search engines is also a good tool when checking for plagiarism. 5

6 3. Unit Achievement and Timescales Each Unit comprises a number of Learning Outcomes and related Assessment Criteria. Learners are tested for their knowledge and understanding of each Unit by sitting an assignment. Centres are required to develop assessment materials against the stated assessment criteria. Centres must send proposed assessment materials to WAMITAB for approval prior to use. The assignments can be done away from the centre. Learners will be required to achieve all units within 12 months of registration with WAMITAB and should be made aware of this requirement before commencing the course. Learners who do not achieve all units within the 12 month period will be required to re-register for the qualification with WAMITAB. Learners will then be required to undergo assessment of those units, or parts of units, that they have not achieved. There will be no maximum number of assignment submissions and Centres may manage this as appropriate. Centres may choose to allow learners to submit the first draft of the assignment to the trainer (not the assessor) so that the trainer can check: a) the depth of content is at the right level; b) each learning outcome is met; c) the timeframe appears to have been complied within terms of the amount produced. The trainer should not, obviously, tell the learner the correct answers but just clarify the above to support the learner to achieve success for the unit. If the learner cannot complete the qualification within the 12 month period because of illness or unexpected occurrences outside of their control such as bereavement etc. then Special Consideration should be applied for by the centre to the External Moderator. Doctor s certificates etc. will need to be submitted as evidence. WAMITAB will then consider the circumstances and advise whether extra time can be allowed. Extra work commitments and planned holidays are not accepted as part of special considerations, so the learner s employer should be made aware of the 12 month requirement before registering the learner for the course. The assignments can be done under open-book conditions, which mean that the learner can use all sources of information available to them for further learning or within their answers, providing that they reference anything copied directly from books, leaflets, course materials, company materials, websites, etc. In each case they should put where the copied work is taken from: page number, author, date of issue or web link and date of accessing. This ensures that plagiarism can then be more easily identified where no referencing has taken place. Unit Certificates will be awarded to learners at any such time as the Centre claims them. Learners who are unable to achieve the full qualification will also receive Unit Certificates. In all instances the learner must achieve all Assessment Criteria in the relevant Unit for a Unit Certificate to be issued. 6

7 4. Assessing the unit assignment: Each unit assignment will be assessed by an assessor who is independent of the training process. The assessor will determine with reference to the Assessment Guide/unit content requirements (shown on a unit template against each Assessment Criteria) whether the learner has achieved the minimum requirements for each assessment criteria to record the answer as successful. Trainers delivering the course should ensure learners understand how much they need to write for each answer. WAMITAB has produced a guidance document detailing the various verbs used in the Assessment Criteria and suggestions for what is required to meet the verb requirements. Assessors will judge the learner s response in accordance with the Assessment Guide and determine whether the answer can be considered correct. Assessors will judge the accuracy of response to each part of the assignment using the typical answers/content provided in the Assessment Guide as an example of the responses expected. However, if they think the answer is valid but not included in the Assessment Guide they should check with their External Moderator or WAMITAB before accepting the response. Resubmission if Pass (achievement of all Assessment Criteria) is not achieved If a learner does not achieve all Assessment Criteria in the assignment then the Centre is permitted to request additional information to be submitted by the learner. The request should be put in writing to the learner and/or trainer and state which Assessment Criteria have not been answered correctly or in enough detail but should not obviously state the answers required. The trainer/assessor may then contact the learner (preferably by phone or face to face) to discuss the issues and guide the learner towards completion (without giving them the right answer). The learner will then need to revise the answers previously submitted in writing and re-submit them to the assessor. There is no limit on the number of resubmissions that may be required, provided that the full qualification is achieved within a 12 month period. The Assessment process should include the assessor annotating in the right margin of the submitted answer where he/she believes each relevant Assessment Criteria has or has not been achieved. 7

8 5. Moderation of Assessment for the Unit Assignment(s) Assessment of the qualification assignments should be Internally Moderated. Sampling should be based on the experience of the Moderator in Assessment of VRQs against Assessment criteria rather than assessment of QCF Competence qualifications or earlier NVQs, and should be completely separate to the more traditional Internal Verification process. 5.1 Unit Assignment Moderation The Internal Moderator should determine a sample based on risk assessment of the process and subsequently either: agree the Assessment decisions by ticking against the learners sampled or disagree the Assessment decisions, and put comments as to why the Assessment is not agreed. The assessor should then adjust the Assessment or re-assess for all learners if relevant. This process can all be done electronically if at all possible. If any learner is required to re-submit the assignment or part of it, following the moderation process, then these should be sent automatically to the Internal Moderator for checking after the assessor has carried out a re-assessment. Centres should develop a plan of assessment and moderation, including an indication of timescales for assessment, submission for moderation and moderation processes. This plan should be discussed with the individuals responsible for these functions to ensure that learners are not disadvantaged by the logistical workings of the process. The achievement record (see attached form) for learners should be prepared once successful assessments have been achieved. Centres are given opportunity to manage the timescales for submitting this to the moderator (as above). The record should then be submitted to the External Moderator who will then determine a sample based on risk assessment from across the scripts (not necessarily the ones sampled by the Internal Moderator) and request these to be sent to him/her for External Moderation. Until the results have been agreed as valid by the External Moderator then submission of results to WAMITAB for unit claims should not be made. Once the External Moderator has agreed Direct Claim status the centre may use their own quality assurance process as above and then submit the achievements to WAMITAB as normal. Direct Claim Status will be given to each Centre on an individual basis and should be discussed with the EM. All certificated assessments should be retained (with the required assessment documentation) for the External Moderator to quality assure those assessments if required. To maintain the Direct Claim status, centres are required to inform the External Moderator of each direct claim so that the EM can request units for ongoing quality assurance. This will be done electronically as and when the External Moderator requests. Centres may also be required to bring a selection of claimed assessments to the annual standardisation meeting. 8

9 Appendix 1: Form for Submission of Unit Results for VRQ Centre Name: Learner Name: Date of initial training course: Learner Number: Please complete the form below which determines learner s state of achievement. Unit achievement: Assessor: Internal Moderator: Centres should send this form to the External moderator electronically and the External Moderator will then respond requesting which scripts are required for the moderation process. 9

10 Appendix 2: Authenticity Form for VRQ Unit Assessments This form should be completed and submitted by each learner and each assessor for each unit assessment. Learner Name: WAMITAB Learner Number: Unit Title: Date of Training Course for this unit: Date of required submission of unit assessment : Centre Name: Notice to Learners: The work you submit for assessment must be your own. You may be disqualified from at least the unit concerned if you copy from someone else, allow another learner to copy from you, or if you cheat in any other way. All information used within this assessment but owned/produced by someone else should be referenced with the author/website/title to show that you are not suggesting this is your work. Declaration of Authentication I have read and understood the Notice to Learners above. I have produced the attached work without assistance, other than that which my centre has explained is acceptable within the assessment strategy. Learner Signature: Date: Declaration by Centre-Assessor I confirm that the learner s work was conducted under the conditions laid out by the specification. I have authenticated the learner s work and am satisfied that to the best of my knowledge the work produced is solely that of the learner. Signed (Centre-Assessor): Date: Name (Block capitals): 10

11 Appendix 3: Glossary of Words used in the Assessment/ Marking Criteria Explain: show an understanding of the content/process mentioned. Include what it is, how it works, what it looks like, what it does, how it happens, why it happens, relevant reasons. The answer should make it plain or comprehensible. Describe: provide a vivid picture of what it is. Use of imagery, adjectives and adverbs make it vivid and more understandable. Describe may also convey an idea and impart facts. Evaluate/Justify: learner must look at whatever the required content/process, etc is and suggest other the relevance/significance/ possible outcomes/results/ possibilities. It is the process of exploring, checking and suggesting a likely outcome with reasons Analyse: look at something/a process/etc using given classifications/principles to gain a further understanding Demonstrate: a doing verb which requires the learner to show they can actually do whatever the AC requires. The learner will have to provide evidence of them actually doing the requirements of the AC/task. It is about application of knowledge and skills rather than just talking about them. The evidence for this can be the learner showing that they have done it by nature of documentation, video, etc. List: produce a number of relevant items which apply to the question. Further description is not required. Identify: for most ACs this requires the learner to list and describe what is required or relevant to produce a required outcome or requires the learner to make choices to achieve a particular aspect of their job. At levels 4, 5 and 6 this would require the learner to say what is available, make the choice and then to explain or justify why the choice was made. Develop: Build a process or activity or understanding either from scratch or forward from the existing product into something workable. Manage: after a development process ensure that the product/process etc works using relevant management techniques. This is very much a doing activity. Apply: put something into action a doing task which requires real evidence from a workplace scenario. Implement: A doing task. After a development process, ensure that the product/process is actually employed and/or used by self and others during work activities. Differentiate: look at the characteristics of an item or situation and explain the differences. Distinguish: look at the characteristics of an item or activity and explain the difference. Use this evaluation to pick an appropriate item/activity in the context of the requirements of the assessment criteria. 11

12 Compare: look at the characteristics of an item or activity and note the similarities and differences. This is more often used at level 1 and 2. Critically Compare: look at the characteristics of an item or situation, note the similarities and differences and their respective positive and negative aspects. In some cases, the can include the use of the comparison in context as the basis for decision making. This is generally used at level 3 and above. Recognise: be aware of, familiar with and able to identify an activity or product. Terms often used to provide a qualitative benchmark for assessment evidence Appropriate provide evidence which is specific to the assessment criteria and relevant to the operation. Suitable Due consideration has been given to the context of the site/waste type/operation/safety regulations in the formulation of the response/evidence. Compliant/compliance Evidence/response meets clearly defined operational and/or regulatory guidance in relation to the work activity. Constructive Possibilities for positive improvement have been considered, perhaps with examples of suggested improvements and the positive/negative aspects of the work activity. Proper that which would be expected based on the regulatory/operational/procedural guidelines for the work activity. 12

13 Assessment Strategy, Version 1 Notes 13

14 Assessment Strategy, Version 1 WAMITAB Peterbridge House 3 The Lakes Northampton NN4 7HE Tel: info.admin@wamitab.org.uk Web: 14