Vol. 426, No. 21888, 14 December 2000
GENERAL NOTICE
Notice 4659 of 2000
This document was approved for release as a discussion document for public comment at the SAQA meeting held on 6 December 2000.
Comments should be forwarded to:
|
SAQA Office Fax number: (012) 346-5814 Attention: Ms J Matlaila |
The closing date for comments is 31 January 2001.
Submissions should be titled: "Criteria for the registration of Assessors Discussion Document for Public Comment"
Establishing Criteria for the registration of Assessors Discussion Document for Public Comment
SAQA DRAFT DOCUMENT: DECEMBER 2000
Introduction
This document is a synthesis of information gathered from a variety of sources through internal research process and through consultation with various stakeholders. The initial draft consisted of a consultation process with selected individuals and organizations. It must be noted the final document will be influenced by the generic assessor standards that will be registered in the NQF.
This document serves as a guide for Education and Training Quality Assurance bodies (ETQAs) to formulate criteria for the registration of assessors. (ETQAs) are required to register assessors for the standards and qualifications for which they have been accredited. The register of assessors is a means of ensuring that whoever assesses learner competence has been deemed as having the requisite criteria recommended by Standard Generating Bodies (SGBs) for specified NQF registered standards and qualifications.
These guidelines are included to also provide a basis for the registration of assessment agencies and centres. Firstly, it is assumed that agencies and centers would utilize assessors that would have the requisite expertise that is referred to, in this document. Further, agencies and centers would have in place policies systems and procedures that are aligned to the principles and policies of their ETQA. The roles responsibilities and expertise expected of individual assessors could be adapted to agencies and centres.
It is assumed that moderators, whether internal or external, would be registered assessors. On the basis of that assumption, these guidelines lay a basis for the recognition of moderators.
Assessment is an integral element of learning facilitation and as such all facilitators of learning of all sites of learning engage in assessment. The register of assessors that each ETQA has to have is of those learning facilitators that assess learners for summative assessment, that is for assessment that culminates in decisions regarding the awarding of credits and, or qualifications. The rationale for such a register is to ensure the credibility of summative assessments in the NQF system, that is the fairness, validity, reliability and practicality of assessments. It is also to ensure that individuals who make decisions about the competence of learners in order that they acquire credits, and or qualifications have the requisite knowledge, skills and experience for specified NQF registered standards and qualifications.
The guidelines herein are generic. They are intended for use by any ETQA regardless of sector. ETQAs are expected to take the guidelines as a minimum upon which sector specific and standard-qualification specific criteria are established.
Furthermore the guidelines should be used in conjunction with the generic assessor standards1 registered on the NQF'. In appropriate circumstances the registration of assessors can be delegated to providers including providers of assessment only such as assessment agencies and centers Delegation would, nonetheless, be governed by these guidelines and assessor standards.
The Role of Assessors
The OBET system differs fundamentally from previous knowledge and inputs-based systems in the sense that the learner, not the content or the curriculum, is at the centre of the learning. Look at the following:
| Learning is no longer something that is `done to' the learner, but something that the learner is actively involved in. As such, the role of the assessor has changed: from being a `gate-keeper', who uses assessment to prevent learners from developing further, to a supportive guide who has the success of the learner at heart - so that the learner can gain access to further learning. |
Therefore, the role of the assessor (in terms of the learner) is to:
To be able to fulfill in these roles, the assessor has to (in terms of the assessment process):
Become familiar with the qualification and the unit standards that he/she will be assessing
Plan and design the assessment (or source appropriate assessment methods and instruments and modify these if necessary)
Collect evidence of the learner's performance in accordance with the relevant ETQA's principles and policies
Once an assessment decision has been made, the assessor has to (in terms of the ETQA requirements):
The responsibility of assessors is to plan, administer and manage the assessment process' in a manner that ensures credibility. The planning, administration and management of assessment must be done in accordance with the principles and policies of ETQAs including moderation requirements. Specifically, the duties and responsibilities of assessors are to:
The Expertise of Assessors
The responsibilities of assessors clearly indicate the expertise expected of assessors. The expertise needed is the following:
Assessors must have proficiency in the subject matter of the discipline or learning area in which the standards and qualifications they are responsible for falls. They should also demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the specific standards and knowledge as obtained in the following areas of expertise, that is, assessors should have both occupational and contextual expertise in their field of assessment.
Contextual Expertise (including Occupational Expertise)
Assessors should:
- know exactly what is expected of the candidates by way of the standards which the candidates have to meet
- be subject-matter and, or occupational experts
- keep in contact with developments in their occupational field
- have a relevant occupational qualification.
- understand the `language' of the field they are assessing, i.e. both the technical terminology as well as the ways of thinking and doing that are required to be competent as an assessor
- keep in contact with developments in their field
- have a qualification relevant to the specified context
- have a requisite number of years of experience, this being determined by the ETQA, as appropriate
Assessors show evidence of their ETD expertise when they:
- Regularly ask candidates for feedback on assessment in order to constantly monitor and improve their (assessors') practice
- Know the curriculum and trainers through regular contact and provide the trainers with detailed feedback
- Use established assessment principles and processes when conducting assessments
- Take language factors into consideration when conducting assessments, using interpreters if necessary to ensure that candidates are clear about what is expected of them
- Exhibit honesty, fairness, reliability, consistency and integrity in their execution of assessment
- Treat learners with respect and sensitivity
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of outcomes-based forms of assessment and the NQF
- Have the necessary training and are in possession of the appropriate ETDP qualifications
- Demonstrate a competence in what they themselves are assessing
- Ensure that the relationship between the learner and assessor during the assessment is conducive to the assessment
- Understand their own role within the broader quality assurance system
- Regularly ask candidates for feedback on the assessment. This enables them to constantly monitor and improve their practice
- Ensure that the environment for assessment is conducive to assessment
- ensure that the assessment tools used are appropriate and meet the established assessment standards
- Demonstrate that they are competent to deal with the following: assessment environment, assessment instrument and assessment system
- Know how to provide feedback on the standards to relevant standard-setting bodies
Assessors should be proficient in the assessment process. In all assessment activities they should demonstrate adherence to the principles of fairness, validity, reliability and practicability. Specifically, they should:
- know how to interpret the assessment criteria and requirements of standards and qualifications
- know how to use assessment guides if available demonstrate the skill of planning assessment
- demonstrate that they are able to select and, or design assessment instruments,
- activities and materials appropriate to the subject matter and to specific standards and qualifications
- demonstrate that they can collect evidence from a variety of sources and guide learners in the collection of evidence
- demonstrate that they are able to communicate effectively with learners during assessment
- demonstrate that they can evaluate and judge evidence, and make decisions with integrity and in adherence to the 4 principles of credible assessment
- demonstrate the ability to implement appropriate recording and reporting methods for assessment results
- demonstrate an understanding of moderation requirements
- demonstrate that they are able to ask candidates for feedback on assessment to enable them to constantly monitor and improve their practice
- demonstrate the ability to evaluate and review the assessment process and to act upon the results thereof
- demonstrate that they have acquired the requisite number of years of experience as assessors
- demonstrate that they have undergone assessment training which may be through: a mentoring process, on the job training, additional study of a unit standard or qualification on assessment, or as part of qualifying as a facilitator of learning'
Assessors need to demonstrate that they have planning, administrative and management skills. They need to demonstrate that they can implement comprehensive information systems to ensure that the administrative and reporting requirements are managed.
Assessors need to have good communication skills. In particular, assessors have to demonstrate that they are able to communicate effectively with learners. They need to be able to establish an open relationship with learners to enable learners to perform optimally during assessment. They need to create an enabling environment for learners who are being assessed. They also have to conduct themselves with integrity and uphold the principle of confidentiality, the 4 principles of credible assessment and the learners' recourse to the appeal system.
Note
- Criteria for the registration of assessors would therefore take into account the expertise identified
- The ETQA would develop a strategy for implementation which would identify elements critical for the short-term and those that can be put in place in the medium and long-term.
The Prerequisites for Registration as an Assessor
For SAQA, assessor includes all practitioners who will be responsible for the assessment of the achievement of learning outcomes. SAQA is of the view that assessor can refer to a practitioner-assessor and to the assessor being different from the practitioner.
The notion of the education and training practitioner being both the learning facilitator and assessor means that teachers, lecturers and trainers who traditionally have administered assessment in addition to facilitating learning can be legally recognised as assessors. It also allows, on the basis of negotiation among the parties involved, for the inclusion of other persons in the assessment process such as workplace supervisors, managers or team leaders. The management of their assessment can be included in the overall management and maintenance of an assessment system.
In some instances the assessor may be a different person from the learning facilitator. This is also acceptable to SAQA. The assessor in this instance would, also, need to be registered as an assessor.
There are cases where general qualifications have specific occupational requirements in particular contexts. Usually this has implications that the full qualification of the learner cannot be assessed by one assessor. Arrangements for joint assessment would have to be made. Both assessors in this instance would need to be registered as assessors.
Essentially anyone who meets the above requirements can be an assessor. Assessors can come from a number of sources. The kinds of persons that can be assessors are listed below:
trainers / teachers / lecturers
colleagues / peers
designated workplace assessors
external assessors - external to the learning site, be it the workplace or provider of learning
In order to register as an assessor, individuals have to meet the criteria for assessors set out by the Standard Generating Body responsible for the generation of the particular unit standard or qualification. Such persons would need to provide evidence that they have the experience, expertise and knowledge to assess generally and to assess the particular unit standard or qualification specifically. The evidence that an individual is suitable for assessment may be based on verification that:
the work and assessment experience mentioned in the assessor's CV relate to the specific competencies required in the unit standards and qualifications in question
supporting documentation like letters of reference, certificates of service and transcripts of referees' accounts confirm the assessor's expertise
There maybe instance whereby it may be impossible for ETQAs to require all assessors to have a qualification as the one they are assessing. In such instances, assessors should have a qualification in the same "family" as the one they are assessing, and ETQAs need to define what acceptable "family" is for their qualifications. In some cases however, assessors must have the actual qualification they are assessing-this is especially true for occupations in which lives are at risk or highly technical.
ETQAs should decide on the period of registration of an assessor and they should have mechanisms in place to review the assessor's registration at the end of the stipulated period.
Certification of assessors
Timescales for achieving certification will also vary with the level of activity. For example, an assessor carrying out assessments on a regular basis would be expected to achieve the required unit standard within a short space of time, whereas an assessor with more limited opportunities for carrying out assessments may take longer.
DEFINITION OF TERMS