There are four Principles of Assessment – Reliability, Fairness, Flexibility and Validity. In our previous Blogs we discussed the Principles of Reliability, Fairness and Flexibility. Here we are to discuss the Principle of Validity.
Principle of Validity
Perhaps this last principle of assessment should have been discussed first, as it is so important. Validity means that the assessment process assesses what it claims to assess – i.e. the unit of competency or cluster of units.
The assessment tool must address all requirements of the unit to sufficient depth and over a sufficient number of times to confirm repeatability of performance.
The unit of competency is the benchmark for assessment. The assessment must adhere strictly to its requirements.
- Nothing from the unit must be omitted from assessment
- Nothing must be required over and above the unit requirements.
The assessment instruments that make up the tool need to be designed so that:
- the outcomes and performance requirements of the unit are addressed
- the broad range of skills and knowledge that are essential to competent performance are addressed
- assessment of knowledge and skills is integrated with their practical application
Mapping
In order to ensure validity, each assessment instrument should be mapped back to the unit. It is not an absolute requirement to include the mapping in the instrument but it is strongly recommended, as the mapping provides guidance for the assessor.
One assessment instrument alone is unlikely to address all of the knowledge and performance requirements of a unit of competency. This is why several assessment instruments are gathered together to make up an assessment tool.
Assessment tools must be validated prior to use and at least every three years thereafter. This is a requirement of the RTO Standards. Validation involves a meeting between assessors, and the first step is to re-map all of the instruments to the unit requirements. It also involves checking that the tool meets the requirements of the other three principles of assessment and the rules of evidence.
It is not possible to create a valid assessment tool unless you refer to the unit requirements during development. If you fail to do so, the tasks you design might not relate directly to the unit. You may be requiring something from the candidate which is outside the parameters of the unit. Alternatively, you may miss a requirement and your tool will be non-compliant.
As trainers and assessors within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, it is important that we not only understand the Principles of Assessment but that we also apply the Principles of Assessment when designing and developing assessment tools and conducting assessment. TAEASS502 Design and Develop Assessment Tools is a core unit in the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and TAE50116 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training.
Written by Sandy Welton
Please post your thoughts below on the Principle of Validity.
Meeting the principle of validity means that there is further authentication that the assessment process is fair, specific and effective in producing the outcomes required of the unit.
The Principle of Validity equals repeatability of performance.
Validity & reliability as solid foundations of how we build on what we do over time. Enjoyed relearning this.
In practice the principle of validity – to assess unit requirements – often requires a range of assessment types to demonstrate these requirements eg from practical observations/reports in workplace or simulated to oral or written/short answer knowledge questions/scenarios.
Validity ensures assessments are linked to criteria and effectively measure learner attainment of indented outcomes, at the desired level.
The only way to ensure that there will be standardisation within the assessment process is to adhere to these Principles of validity. Doing so will allow for consistency and for a target group to be adequately assessed in a fair and transperant fashion, using instruments that have been proven or validated to be the appropriate tools for the job.
Mapping a unit to ensure assessment validity is crucial to make sure all outcomes and performance criteria are met there is and a consistent result from every assessment.
The Principle of Validity is essential when assessing as it links what is supposed to be taught ( i.e. the unit of competency or cluster of units) to the assessment process. This ensures that the content and the learning is exactly what is stated in the units.
The Principle of Validity is proven to be key when it comes to creating, keeping up to date and assessing assessment instruments. It maintains the boundaries for both the Assessor and Candidate that what they are either assessing or learning is to the benchmark of the unit or unit cluster.
Implementing procedures to implement valid assessments makes sense for all industries and particularly situations where safety is critical. There are rigorous procedures within VET programming to encourage valid assessment, but it is most important that trainers are following procedures carefully and creating time for meaningful student assessment.
Validity and mapping ensure all criterion are met and there is both a level playing field and a consistent result from every assessment. This allows industries to trust and understand what they get from all applicants that have a specific qualification.
The process of mapping and the principle of validity is imperative to effective assessment. Without ensuring that the process is valid and claims to assess competence, where relevant, then what is the point of calling it “competent”?
For me, validity is a clear guidepost for the RTO. as humans, with our own preferences, experiences and biases, the risk is always that an RTO focuses on parts that are more relevant or important to him/his experience.. and mapping always brings it back to the actual goal of the unit.
Having tools that are valid – assess what they are meant to assess is important as it also helps the learner know that they are taking on a course that is what they actually want it to be – and not setting them up for failure
As a school teacher, I can appreciate that assessment validity is extremely important in maintaining quality assessment that is consistent and fair. If an assessment is not valid it does not enable students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and application as it does not assess what it is asking.
How would you check that the assessor has assessed the candidate on all three levels of competence (foundational, practical and reflexive
I appreciate that going through the mapping to ensure a tool is valid gets me thinking more deeply about making sure each and every criteria is met.
I like the fact that meeting the principle of validity means that there is another check and balance to ensure that the assessment process is fair and accurate and effective in producing competency outcomes.
Mapping the instrument or tasks back to the unit gives me confidence that what I’m designing is on the right track. I look forward to being involved in the validation process.
Ensuring that an assessment measures what it is intended to measure is a critical component in education. Validity expresses the degree to which a measurement measures what it says it’s going to measure. It is an important part of the assessment process and one that needs to be understood clearly.