Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement

Unit 1. Understand the Principles and Requirements of Assessment

1.1 Explain the functions of assessment in learning and development

The function of assessment in learning and development is to primarily asses a learners learning and development against a set criteria. For instance I judge learners’ knowledge and skills against the criteria listed in levels two and three of their VRQ using the IMI awarding body. I use various assessment methods to measure skills and learning of leaners i.e. practical skills tasks to measure skills, written assessments to measure knowledge and understanding and oral to judge the knowledge of learning.

Assessment is carried out through formative (checks throughout the course) and summative (at the end of the course) activities to help the learner see their development whilst allowing the assessor to give valuable feedback where appropriate. Its purpose is to measure the learners understanding of the subject against the anticipated outcomes set by the criteria of the awarding body.

For example, assessment provides clear measurement and recording of achievement during a course that provides identification of individual achievement or learners’ needs. I have found that by creating quizzes and/or using verbal communication that I can capture formative evidence of learners understanding of a task prior to the assessment deadline so I can intervene to give extra help.

The learners development is typically measured using formative or summative assessment that meets criteria in a fit-for-purpose assignment and consequently reflects the required standards and performance/assessment criteria in any given course.
The purpose is to monitor development via evidence that can be quantified and used as performance review/targets/benchmarking throughout a course.

From an Assessors point of view it is essential to ensure that assessment decisions are consistently reviewed and internally/externally verified where possible so as to contribute to the awarding institutions quality assurance and on-going development of best practice.

1.2 Define the key concepts and principles of assessment

The key concepts and principles of assessment include:

Fairness – Assessment must be objective and tied to criteria stated by the awarding body. Internal and external checks in samples of marking are needed at regular stages to ensure the validity of the assessment decisions made.

Validity – Decisions