On Friday, 5th September, FTA held a Standardisation meeting with all tutors and staff involved in the assessment process.
Standardisation of practice ensures that assessments are interpreted accurately and that everyone who interprets them thinks in a consistent manner, making comparable, fair, and consistent decisions.
Standardisation activities can include:
• Collaborating on creating schemes of work, session plans, course materials and resources for taught courses
• Comparing how documents have been completed
• Discussing any appeals and complaints, and how they can be avoided
• Discussing how learner evidence can meet the requirements, e.g. the way witness testimonies or learner statements are used
• Interpreting the qualification requirements (or what is to be taught/assessed) and how assessment decisions are reached
• New staff shadowing experienced staff
• Peer observations and feedback to ensure consistency of practice
• Reviewing assessment activities – looking at safety and fairness, validity and reliability, deciding alternative methods of assessment for any particular learner requirements or needs
• Reviewing how assessment plans and feedback records are completed by different assessors
• The way feedback is given to learners, the way learner reviews are carried out, updating assessment and IQA documentation, i.e. checklists, records and templates.
During the standardisation meeting, the tutors sampled and reviewed two portfolios from Leicester and London, discussing the assessment methods, feedback provided, and the final assessment decision.
Benefits for Learners:
• Fairness and Equity: All learners receive the same consistent experience and are marked against the same fair criteria.
• Equal Opportunities: Standardised assessments ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their competencies, promoting inclusivity.
• Clear Expectations: Learners understand the benchmarks and standards they are being held to, which can inform their efforts.
Benefits for Educators:
• Consistent Quality: It ensures a uniform approach to assessment, maintaining high standards across different educators and institutions.
• Objective Data: Standardised assessments provide an objective, data-driven point of comparison, helping to identify learning gaps and inform instruction.
• Professional Development: It creates opportunities for educators to meet, discuss, and share good practices, improving their professional skills.
• Accountability: Standardisation helps establish benchmarks, making schools and educators more accountable for student outcomes.
• Enhanced Credibility: The process strengthens the credibility of the assessment and qualification process, both locally and internationally.
Benefits for the Assessment Process:
• Increased Reliability: Standardised practices make the results more reliable and accurate, giving a truer picture of learner performance.
• Improved Consistency: Assessment decisions are more consistent, reducing potential bias and ensuring accuracy.
• Quality Assurance: It helps in meeting quality assurance requirements and provides an audit trail for quality assurance processes.
• Identification of Trends: By comparing decisions and outcomes, standardisation helps identify trends and inconsistencies in assessment practices.
The meeting was productive, and the tutors were actively engaged, sharing their own knowledge and best practices with one another.
Lan Leeder, Head of Education at the FTA, said: “Standardised meetings for assessment are essential to ensure that all assessors apply marking standards and assessment criteria consistently. This leads to fair, accurate, and credible results for all learners. It was encouraging to see that all assessors and tutors came together, reviewed each other’s work, and provided constructive feedback for development.”
Feedback from the tutor: “Great to be working as a team with both sites and gain feedback! I understand how to mark and provide feedback in learners’ portfolios, including the need to mark as you go along and give learners the opportunity to correct any mistakes or add more information!”