Competency Based Assessment System – Features, Principles And Rules Of Evidence

Reasonable Adjustment

The questions in this workbook are divided into two categories.

The Knowledge Assessment contains questions that are all in a short answer format. The Case Studies are longer questions requiring creative thought processes are covered in the case studies assessment. You must answer all questions using your own words. However you may reference your learner guide, and other online or hard copy resources to complete this assessment.  

You must attempt all assessments satisfactorily to achieve an overall award of competent.

If you are currently working as part of an Early Childhood Education/Child Care team, you may answer these questions based on your own workplace. Otherwise consider what you should do if you were working as part of an Early Childhood Education/Child Care team you may refer to Sparkling Stars as an example.

What is competency based assessment

The features of a competency based assessment system are:

• It is focused on what learners can do and whether it meets the criteria specified by industry as competency standards.
• Assessment should mirror the environment the learner will encounter in the workplace.
• Assessment criteria should be clearly stated to the learner at the beginning of the learning process.
• Assessment should be holistic.  That is it aims to assess as many elements and/or units of competency as is feasible at one time.
• In competency assessment a learner receives one of only two outcomes – competent or not yet competent.
• The basis of assessment is in applying knowledge for some purpose.  In a competency system, knowledge for the sake of knowledge is seen to be ineffectual unless it assists a person to perform a task to the level required in the workplace.
• The emphasis in assessment is on assessable outcomes that are clearly stated for the trainer and learner.  Assessable outcomes are tied to the relevant industry competency standards where these exist.  Where such competencies do not exist, the outcomes are based upon those identified in a training needs analysis.

Definition of competency

Assessment in this context can be defined as:

• The fair, valid, reliable and flexible gathering and recording of evidence to support judgement on whether competence has been achieved. Skills and knowledge (developed either in a structured learning situation, at work, or in some other context) are assessed against national standards of competence required by industry, rather than compared with the skills and knowledge of other learners.

The basic principles of assessing nationally recognised training

Developing and conducing assessment, in an Australian vocational education and training context, is founded on a number of basic conventions:

The principles of assessment

• Assessment must be valid

Assessment must include the full range of skills and knowledge needed to demonstrate competency.

Assessment must include the combination of knowledge and skills with their practical application.

Assessment, where possible, must include judgements based on evidence drawn from a number of occasions and across a number of contexts.

• Assessment must be reliable

Assessment must be reliable and must be regularly reviewed to ensure that assessors are making decisions in a consistent manner.

Assessors must be trained in national competency standards for assessors to ensure reliability.

• Assessment must be flexible

Assessment, where possible, must cover both the on and off-the-job components of training within a course.

Assessment must provide for the recognition of knowledge, skills and attitudes regardless of how they have been acquired.

Assessment must be made accessible to learners though a variety of delivery modes, so they can proceed through modularised training packages to gain competencies.

• Assessment must be fair and equitable

Assessment must be equitable to all groups of learners.

Assessment procedures and criteria must be made clear to all learners before assessment.

Assessment must be mutually developed and agreed upon between assessor and the assessed.

Assessment must be able to be challenged.  Appropriate mechanisms must be made for reassessment as a result of challenge.

The rules of evidence (from Training in Australia by M Tovey, D Lawlor)

When collecting evidence there are certain rules that apply to that evidence. All evidence must be valid, sufficient, authentic and current;

• Valid

Assistive / Adaptive Technologies

oEvidence gathered should meet the requirements of the unit of competency. This evidence should match or at least reflect the type of performance that is to be assessed, whether it covers knowledge, skills or attitudes.

• Sufficient

This rule relates to the amount of evidence gathered It is imperative that enough evidence is gathered to satisfy the requirements that the learner is competent across all aspects of the unit of competency.

• Authentic

When evidence is gathered the assessor must be satisfied that evidence is the learner’s own work.

• Current

This relates to the recency of the evidence and whether the evidence relates to current abilities.

The dimensions of competency

The national concept of competency includes all aspects of work performance, and not only narrow task skills. The four dimensions of competency are:

• Task skills
• Task management skills
• Contingency management skills
• Job role and environment skills

Reasonable Adjustment

Adapted Reasonable Adjustment in teaching, learning and assessment for learners with a disability – November 2010 – Prepared by – Queensland VET Development Centre

Reasonable adjustment in VET is the term applied to modifying the learning environment or making changes to the training delivered to assist a learner with a disability. A reasonable adjustment can be as simple as changing classrooms to be closer to amenities, or installing a particular type of software on a computer for a person with vision impairment.

Why make a reasonable adjustment?

We make reasonable adjustments in VET to make sure that learners with a disability have:

• the same learning opportunities as learners without a disability
• the same opportunity to perform and complete assessments as those without a disability.

Reasonable adjustment applied to participation in teaching, learning and assessment activities can include:

• customising resources and assessment activities within the training package or accredited course
• modifying the presentation medium learner support
• use of assistive / adaptive technologies
• making information accessible both prior to enrolment and during the course
• monitoring the adjustments to ensure learner needs continue to be met.

Assistive / Adaptive Technologies

Assistive/adaptive technology means ‘software or hardware that has been specifically designed to assist people with disabilities in carrying out daily activities’ (World Wide Web Consortium – W3C). It includes screen readers, magnifiers, voice recognition software, alternative keyboards, devices for grasping, visual alert systems, digital note takers.

Reasonable adjustment made for collecting candidate assessment evidence must not impact on the standard expected by the workplace, as expressed by the relevant Unit(s) of Competency. E.g. If the assessment was gathering evidence of the candidates competency in writing, allowing the candidate to complete the assessment verbally would not be a valid assessment method. The method of assessment used by any reasonable adjustment must still meet the competency requirements.

Cheating and Plagiarism

What is Cheating?

Cheating within the context of the study environment, means to dishonestly present an assessment task or assessment activity as genuinely representing your own understanding of and/or ability in the subject concerned.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Some examples of cheating are:

• Submitting someone else’s work as your own. Whether you have that persons consent or not.
• Submitting another author’s work as your own, without proper acknowledgement of the author.
• To allow someone else to submit your own work as theirs.
• To use any part of someone else’s work without the proper acknowledgement

There are other forms of cheating not contained in this list. These are merely given as some examples. If you are unsure about whether any particular behaviour would constitute plagiarism or cheating, please check with your trainer prior to submitting your assessment work.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is a form of cheating and includes presenting another person or organisation’s ideas or expressions as your own. This includes, however is not limited to: copying written works such as books or journals, data or images, tables, diagrams, designs, plans, photographs, film, music, formulae, web sites and computer programs.

How do I avoid Plagiarism or Cheating?

Students are advised to note the following advice to avoid claims of plagiarism or cheating:

• Always reference other people’s work. You may quote from someone else’s work (for example from websites, textbooks, journals or other published materials) but you must always indicate the author and source of the material.
• Always Reference your sources. You should name sources for any graphs, tables or specific data, which you include in your assignment.
• You must not copy someone else’s work and present it as your own.
• You must not falsify assessment evidence.

The unit of competency

For the purpose of delivering the Qualification CHC50113 Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care clustered assessment of units of competency will occur.

When assessing each unit it is important to understand how they are structured in order to meet assessment requirements.

Each unit of competency can be unbundled to reveal two key assessment components:

1.the performance criteria

a.specifying the required level of performance

2.the Assessment Requirements

a.Performance Evidence

b.Knowledge Evidence

c.Assessment Conditions

Application

The unit describes the skills and knowledge to establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment for children.

This unit applies to educators working in a range of education and care services.

Elements

• Support each child’s health needs
• Provide for each child’s comfort
• Promote and implement effective hygiene practices
• Take steps to control the spread of infectious diseases
• Ensure adequate supervision of children
• Take precaution to protect children from harm
• Develop plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies

Foundation Skills

The foundation skills described those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.

Reading – in order to interpret and apply relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, including National Quality Standards, required for ensuring safety in a service.

The remaining foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.  There must be demonstrated evidence that the candidate has completed the following tasks:

• established and maintained an environment that is safe and healthy for children in at least once service, including:
• communicating hazards and safety issues to appropriate persons within the service
• coordinating emergency responses including evacuation plans
• planning and coordinating supervision of children
• promoting and monitoring safety practices, including administration of medicines and safe handling of food
• coordinating appropriate procedures for handling infections and illnesses, including communicating with families
• enacting strategies to support children to take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This include knowledge of:

• how to access:

the National Quality Framework

the National Quality Standards

the relevant approved learning framework

• how to navigate through framework and standards documents to find areas relevant to this unit of competency
• common childhood illnesses and appropriate responses
• strategies for minimising risk
• notifiable diseases
• organisational standards, policies and procedures.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a regulated education and care service.

The unit of competency

In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.

Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.

Assessment must ensure use of:

• National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care
• the relevant approved learning framework under the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care
• evacuation plans
• health and safety procedures and policies, including food-handling, travel and medication administration.

Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

HLTWHS003 Maintain work health and safety

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to implement and monitor work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and work practices as part of a small work team.

This unit applies to workers who have a key role in maintaining WHS in an organisation, including duty of care for other workers.

Elements

• Contribute to workplace procedures for identifying hazards and controlling risks
• Implement policies and procedures into work team processes
• Support consultation, cooperation and communication

Foundation Skills

The foundation skills described those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.

• Written communication – in order to complete a workplace risk assessment and complete a workplace incident report in line with regulatory guidelines and organisational policies
• Oral communication – in order to accurately present information to a small group of at least two participants

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.

There must be demonstrated evidence that the candidate has completed the following tasks at least once in line with state/territory WHS regulations, relevant codes of practice and workplace procedures:

• conducted a workplace risk assessment and recorded the results, including:

identification of hazards and potential hazards

risk assessment

strategies for minimising risk, and

analysis of residual risk

• provided WHS information to at least two workers, including:

oexplanation of WHS policies and procedures

odemonstration of safe housekeeping practices

ocorrect use of personal protective equipment (PPE)

• consistently monitored safety procedures in the day-to-day work activities required by the job role
• completed a workplace incident report
• followed workplace procedures for a simulated emergency situation

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

• State/territory legislation and how it impacts on workplace regulations, codes of practice and industry standards, including:

ostate/territory WHS authorities

orights and responsibilities of persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), officers and workers, including duty of care

olegislative requirements for record-keeping and reporting

oregulatory requirements relevant to the particular industry/type of work site

ohazardous manual tasks

oinfection control

• Hazards common to the work environment and how they cause harm
• Principles of hazards and risk assessment, including:

ohazard identification procedures

orisk assessment process

oresidual risk

orisk controls

ohierarchy of control

• Workplace emergency procedures
• Workplace policies and procedures for WHS.

Assessment Methods

Assessment for this unit will be assessed through completion of Assessment Workbook Seven (7) and the relevant section of Workbook Eleven (11).

Workbook Seven (7) will focus on two assessment methods:

1.Written Questions – based on the required knowledge component as described in the Instructions for Assessment

2.Case Studies – utilising the Sparkling Stars virtual Education and Care Service and activities set out in this workbook.

3.Projects – provide tasks designed to be completed in a practical setting, to assist completion of relevant tasks addressing underpinning skills and/or knowledge requirements.

Further Assessments:

4.Workbook Eleven (11) Skills Journal

• participant must attend Vocational Placement and maintain a log of tasks completed and signed off by supervisor in the workplace

Context for Assessment

To complete the assessment in this workbook, students need only to have access to their learning materials and the internet. This may be completed wholly at the student’s home, or chosen place of study.