Assessment Design

To ensure your training resources are effective and producing the desired results, you need to have appropriate assessment and evaluation processes in place.

Designing the right assessment tools

Before an assessment is created, there need to be clearly identified learning outcomes associated with the learning. For complex training courses, this may even involve the production of a graduate profile – details of the skills and knowledge that anyone successfully completing the training would be expected to have.

From the learning outcomes, the criteria for evaluating performance can be derived. These in turn will indicate the kind of assessment that is required.

Workplace Assessment

Workplace assessment is an integral part of a structured training programme. A workplace assessor will assess the skills and knowledge the learner has gained and is using daily on the job.

When designing assessment, remember that many people find being assessed stressful. One of the skills of an assessment designer is to:

• set the assessment within the normal work context
• reduce the anxiety levels of the learner
• allow the learner to demonstrate the true levels of their skills and knowledge

Workplace assessment is all about building the learner’s confidence and encouraging them to aim higher, and so gain even more from their training.

NZQA Framework Assessment

When designing an assessment for a particular unit standard, you need to be aware of:

• The level of the unit standard on the NZQA framework
• Whether the elements within the unit are theoretically based, practically based or a combination of these

As you move through the different levels on the NZQA framework, the learning demand required by a unit standard changes. This also needs to be reflected in the design of the assessment.

For example, a level 1 unit will usually require information recall, and be testing a narrow range of knowledge and cognitive skills. Therefore simple questions with a single answer, and true/false questions would be appropriate.

Take a look at this simple assessment tool that allows learners to review their learning before going for assessment.

If you need help getting your assessment and evaluation tools just right contact us now.