ITO Workplace Assessment Structures

Project Summary

This completed project examined the different structures and processes that ITOs use to support and manage workplace assessment and assessors. A literature scan has been completed examining the role of assessment in workplace learning, international approaches to workplace assessment and the experiences of workplace assessors.

Survey and focus group findings showed that ITOs have trouble finding enough assessors with the right attributes and supporting them; that training policies and practices impact upon the assessors ability to do their job effectively; that there are mixed views about verification of assessment; and, that moderation plays a critical role. Four high-level principles regarding on-job assessment have been developed:

• ITOs and employers should have a clear purpose for assessment and work together
• ITO assessment structures and systems must support the learning process
• Assessment requires appropriately recruited, trained and professionally developed people
• Moderation contributes to validity and reliability of assessment decisions

Finally, a guide to good practice for on-job assessment has also been completed. This guide has been developed to assist ITOs in their thinking about how they can make their workplace assessment more robust, effective, and support high-quality learning.

This project was completed mid 2010

For further information about the project, please contact the Industry Training Federation: www.itf.org.nz

Project Team

• Nicholas Huntington (Project Leader), Industry Training Federation
• Dr Karen Vaughan (Project Leader), New Zealand Council for Educational Research
• Dr Neil Bechervaise, Retail Institute
• Marie Cameron, New Zealand Council for Educational Research
• Mary Kingsbury, Competenz
• Dr Dominic Madell, ETITO 
• Ian Shepherd, Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation
• Liz Stephenson, Careerforce

Project Funding

$90,000 GST exc.

 Project Outputs

The first of three major outputs from this project 

Vaughan, K., & Cameron, M. (2009). Assessment of Learning in the Workplace: A Background Paper. Industry Training Federation: Wellington, New Zealand.

The second of three major outputs from this project:

Vaughan, K., & Cameron, M. (2010a). ITO Workplace Assessment Structures and Systems: Survey and Focus Group Findings. Industry Training Federation: Wellington, New Zealand.

The final major output from this project

Vaughan, K., & Cameron, M. (2010b). A Guide to Good Practice in Industry Training Organisation Structures and Systems for On-Job Assessment. Wellington: Industry Training Federation.