Assessment involves establishing how much an individual learner or group has learnt, and will involve both learners and tutors/assessors. In some cases the process begins before the course starts and continues until after it has finished. Assessment is the judgement of evidence showing that learning has taken place (an act of measurement) and confirms that a learning outcome, or part of a learning outcome, has been achieved.
Learning is a change in skill and/or attitude and/or knowledge and measuring these changes are the steps in the assessment process.
What is internal quality assurance?
Internal quality assurance is a process where assessment practices and decisions are sampled and evaluated by a different member of the centres staff from the person who carried out the assessments, and the findings are acted upon to ensure consistency and fairness. It also helps to develop assessors and identify training/CPD needs, and/or changes necessary to policies and procedures.
When does internal quality assurance take place?
- before a learning programme is delivered, to ensure all assessment criteria will be covered by appropriate assessment methods and activities
- during a learning programme, to sample assessment decisions and feedback (formative sampling), and enable any necessary changes to be made before the learners complete the programme in order not to disadvantage the learners.
- at the end of a learning programme to sample assessment decisions and feedback (summative sampling).
What assessment decisions does an internal quality assurer (IQA) sample?
An IQA samples and makes judgements on assessment decisions made by all assessors against the:
- learning outcomes
- assessment criteria
- prescribed/mandatory assessment methods (if relevant).
How much assessed work should an IQA sample?
As a general guide, an IQA should sample at least 10% of completed portfolios, or five portfolios, whichever is the most, per course run.
However, the experience of the assessors must be taken into account, with new/inexperienced assessor decisions being sampled more often than those made my experienced assessors. It is also important to consider other aspects which may increase risk factors, such as whether the unit is new to the centre or established, when selecting the sample size.
What does currency mean and how is it relevant to an IQA?
Currency relates to the content and information provided to learners being up to date, for example ensuring that where legislation is taught, this is always the latest version. One of the IQAs responsibilities is to check that this remains the case.
Does LASER insist centres use standard forms when designing, planning and undertaking internal quality assurance?
No, LASER is flexible in allowing centres to design their own documents. However, there are a number of guideline templates which centres can use if they wish.
Across the qualification, centres should adopt a standard approach and be consistent in the types of internal quality assurance (IQA) forms and templates they use.
What types of internal quality assurance templates are there on the LASER Quartz web portal?
The templates available are:
- IQA01 Record Keeping to Evidence Internal Quality Assurance
- IQA02 Internal Quality Assurance Report on a Single Learner Portfolio
- IQA03 Internal Quality Assurance Sampling Record
- IQA04 Report on Internal Quality Assurance Visit to Learners
- IQA05 Internal Quality Assurer Feedback to Assessor Report
- IQA06 Standardisation Record
- IQA07 Sampling Record – Sample 1
- IQA07 Sampling Record – Sample 2
- IQA08 Internal Quality Assurance Quality Checklist
- IQA09 Pre Course Verification
- IQA10 Standardisation Meeting Agenda Template
- IQA13 Summary Report Template
Why do we need them?
Tracking learners’ progress, mapping their achievements and recording these for scrutiny by the internal and external verifier is an essential part of quality assurance in LASER accreditation. We believe that this system will support you in making your record keeping activities as easy as possible, by planning and integrating the documents into the whole learning, assessing and evidencing process. This process starts with the Units of Assessment, whether part of a local programme or a national qualification.
The templates support tutors and internal verifiers in setting up a workable and coherent planning, tracking and recording system for learners’ achievements and verification.
Can LASER’s internal quality assurance templates be adapted by the centre?
Yes. The templates can be adapted to meet the needs of the centre. This should be consistent across the qualification and cover the key internal quality assurance activities.
Can we devise our own recording documents?
The templates are intended to support providers, but where existing documents are working well, we do not insist that the LASER ones are used. They may, however, be used to fill gaps or to provide ideas for customising existing documents.
Do we need to use all of them?
Only two are essential, namely, the assessment planning document and the individual learner record for unit achievement. The others can be used as appropriate.
The assessor and IV planning and tracking templates are available on the Quartz web portal.
When should the assessment brief be internally quality assured?
The actual timings will be left to the centre but an assessment brief must not be given to learners before it has been internally quality assured and approved.
Assessment FAQs
Does LASER have any guidelines when designing an assessment?
An assessment activity should:
- be valid
- be reliable
- be comparable
- be manageable
- minimise bias
- be fit for purpose
- be sufficient
- be authentic
- be set at the appropriate level
- be in line with credit value of the unit/qualification with a clear opportunity for all unit assessment criteria to be met
What does “valid” mean in this context?
The assessment is effective and clearly related to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
What does “reliable” mean in this context?
The assessment is replicable, with the same standard being achieved if the same assessment was repeated.
What does “comparable” mean in this context?
The assessment is consistent in level with other assessments of units/qualifications at the same level, and different learners assessments can be marked in a consistent way.
What does “manageable” mean in this context?
The assessment is deliverable and achievable with the resources, including staffing, that the centre has.
What does “minimise bias” mean in this context?
The assessment is inclusive, designed to allow all learners to potentially achieve, irrespective of their background, culture, or any other differences between them.
What does “fit for purpose” mean in this context?
The assessment is appropriate for the content of the unit/qualification, and allows the learners to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
What does “sufficient” mean in this context?
There is enough assessment evidence produced to enable the assessor to make a consistent and reliable judgment. It is enough for the assessor to be confident that the learner would be able to replicate this in the future, but is not unnecessarily repetitive or excessive.
What does “authentic” mean in this context?
The assessment evidence is the learners own work or performance. Each assessment criteria has been met by the learner on their own.
How can the assessment evidence be authenticated?
There are a number of ways this can be done, depending on the type of assessment and evidence. The learners can sign a declaration confirming the assessment evidence in their portfolio/assignment is their own. Photographic evidence can be authenticated by learner signature with a brief description of the assessment activity being undertaken. A tutor, or support staff, may authenticate the evidence, ready for the assessors decision. Video and/or audio recordings may be used.
A learner has achieved all of the assessment criteria for a unit apart from one. Can they achieve this unit?
No. All of the the assessment criteria must be evidenced and achieved.
If a learner hasn’t achieved an assessment, can they resubmit?
Yes. The resubmitted work must be clearly labelled “Resubmission” and have the date when it was resubmitted. Each resubmission must be assessed and feedback provided. The resubmission and feedback must be kept in the learner’s portfolio of evidence along with the original submission and assessment feedback. The number of resubmissions allowed can be decided by each centre. All learners must have the same opportunities to resubmit if the original assessment evidence has not met the assessment criteria.
When should the assessment brief be internally quality assured?
The actual timings are to be decided by the centre, but an assessment brief must not be given to learners before it has been internally quality assured and approved.
Does LASER insist centres use standard forms when designing, planning and assessing assessment?
No. LASER is flexible in allowing centres to design their own documents. However, there are a number of guideline templates which centres can use if they wish. These can be downloaded from the LASER Quartz web portal.
Across the qualification, centres should adopt a standard approach and be consistent in the types of assessment forms and templates they use.
What types of Tutor Assessment Templates are there on the Quartz web portal?
- TA01 Tutor Assessment Planning
- TA02 Individual Learner Record for Unit Achievement
- TA03 Tutor’s Record of Learners’ Assessment – Sample 1
- TA03 Tutor’s Record of Learners’ Assessment – Sample 2
- TA04 Task Briefing Front Sheet
- TA05 Assessor Feedback Sheet
- TA06 Individual Witness Statement
- TA07 Tutor/Assessor Observation Statement
- TA08 Tutor/Assessor Recording Record
Can the Tutor Assessment Templates be adapted by the centre?
Yes. The templates can be adapted to meet the needs of the centre. This should be consistent across the qualification.
Where can I find out more about different types of assessment?
Look at the Assessment Definitions documents on the Quartz web portal. These have been divided into the following:
- Assessment Definitions Entry to L3
- Assessment Definitions L4 and above
What are “Reasonable Adjustments” and “Special Considerations”, and how do these contribute to “Access to Fair Assessment”?
Reasonable adjustments are specific changes made, by prior approval of LASER, for the assessment of learners who have special needs, for example dyslexia, or a visual impairment, in order to allow them the same opportunities as other learners to achieve, whilst ensuring that the assessment continues to be reliable, fit for purpose, valid sufficient and authentic.
Special considerations may be given to learners who experience temporary illness, injury or other unexpected event at the time of assessment. This might include, for example, a fire alarm going off during an assessment. The incident/illness etc in question must be reported to LASER as soon as possible in order to request a special consideration be given to the learner or group of learners. The special consideration should allow the learner/s to demonstrate the achievement they are capable of for units that are subject to special consideration, despite the incident/situation which occurred.
Where can I find out more about “Access to Fair Assessment”?
Look at the LASER web site: Access to Fair Assessment
You will need to click on the Access to Fair Assessment word document.
What is formative feedback and how does it differ from summative feedback?
Formative feedback is designed to assist the learning process by providing ongoing constructive feedback to learners during their learning journey, in order to support them and enhance their performance. Formative feedback is provided before submission/completion of the assessment evidence for summative assessment, which evaluates whether the learner has achieved the assessment criteria.
Can you explain the meaning of the verbs used in the assessment criteria?
Please see our definition guides on the Quartz web portal below for an explanation of the verbs used.
- Entry Level Verbs
- Level 1 Verbs
- Level 2 Verbs
- Level 3 Verbs
- Level 4 Verbs