Welcome to the REAL Assessor Newsletter

There are some genuine reasons for early completion of programmes. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and previous experience and qualifications being just two. We do take notice of rapid completions and have looked into a number of rapid completions over the past year and found no evidence of incorrect practice. We continue to monitor rapid completions however, as this can be a result of academic dishonesty (using another person’s work as their own), or could be brought about by other external forces which can put undue pressure on the assessor to mark and assess learner work. These external forces might include pay equity or visa applications.

Your role as assessors is to make robust and defendable judgements on the evidence of competence that the trainee has presented to you. If you are ever in doubt about the authenticity or the validity of learner work, you may request further evidence. You are encouraged to check observation notes and contact the observers if you have any questions about the evidence, or if you aren’t certain there is enough evidence to make a judgement.

If you ever need a second opinion please, contact the moderators via moderation@careerforce.org.nz

The team of Careerforce National Moderators have moderated thousands of assessment samples over the years and have seen good assessment practice from multiple contexts; they will be able to provide guidance and assurance about your assessment decisions.

By way of reminder, the Careerforce Assessment Procedures Manual states that you have 10 working days to complete marking of an assessment. Should you find yourself being put under pressure to complete the assessment of learner work at a rate that you can’t keep up with, please contact your Careerforce Workplace Advisor. They may be able to offer assistance.

Careerforce submit samples of assessed work to NZQA for post-assessment moderation annually. Last year, completed assessments for units 9694, and 21335 were submitted.

Feedback from NZQA suggests we could do more to ensure our learners are demonstrating competence at the correct level on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). The level descriptors are summed up on pages 29 – 30 of this document.

At a simplified level:

Learners at level 2 should be able to tell you about what they do.
Learners at level 3 should be able to tell you about what they do and how they do it – sometimes they will begin to talk about why they do things.
Learners at level 4 should be able to tell you about what they do, how they do it, and why they do it with regard to the organisational policies, or with regard to legislation.

If you aren’t satisfied that the learner has been able to show you the appropriate depth of knowledge, seek more evidence, do some verbal assessment, or ask some open ended questions to have the learner expand on their answers.

The following feedback and suggestions apply to units where practical observations are involved – especially those focused on communication such as units 1304, 8077, 9694 and 9681.

A key component of these assessments is the recording of communication activity by your learners. It is critical that recording of this communication is sufficiently detailed that another (non-present) assessor could determine competence. Each area of the observation notes must be filled with evidence that shows specifically how the learner’s competence was shown.

Other good assessment practices are covered in our Mātauranga Wānanga (Assessor Hubs) – sign up here to attend a local wānanga.

Careerforce is creating a 'Learning to Learn' module to help support learners who are either new to adult education and training or returning to education and training after a number of years.

We have lots of ideas for content, here are a few examples:

Learning how to learn
Where and how to access literacy support
Tips for breaking down and understanding questions
Forming responses to assessment questions
Conducting research, citing sources, and avoiding plagiarism

We would really welcome and appreciate your input too as our workplace assessors; please follow the link below to have your say about the content and how your learners might access it.

https://forms.office.com/r/Hpc5yVxq0N

Careerforce released the new New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing Advanced Care and Support (Level 4) on 9 August 2021. This is a new 120 credit programme, that replaces the current 70 credit programme. However, note that the 70 credit programme remains open to enrolments through to the end of the year.

Assessments in the new programme
The new programme includes 16 unit standards from the current Advanced Support programme, Level 4, which were reviewed. The review process included the dementia assessments, as US 23922 is expiring and has been replaced with US 32416.

Two assessments were reviewed and brought over from another programme:

Factors influencing people's health and wellbeing and their implications when providing support (US 29457)
Explain the impacts of colonisation on health and wellbeing for tangata whenua, and in a health or wellbeing setting (US 28558)

There are 10 new assessments as part of the new programme:

Contribute to the preparation and evaluation of reports (US 32504)
Contribute to and apply a personal plan for a person with a brain injury (US 32505)
Describe and apply positive behaviour support (US 32507)
Describe and apply psychological first aid (US 32508)
Contribute to and apply a personal plan for a frail person (US 32509)
Support a person with an acute condition (US 32510)
Support a person with a long-term (chronic) condition (US 32511)
Contribute to and apply a personal plan for a person requiring bariatric care (US 32512)
Contribute to and apply a personal plan for a person with a spinal injury (US 32513)
Undertake informal coaching (US 32516)

Our co-design process with sectors on the development of learning and assessment resources highlighted design features that are most suited to online learning. This programme will be released on Aka Toi (the Careerforce online learning platform), providing trainees access to videos, interactive activities, and scenario-based learning. The sectors also asked for learning to be enhanced by guided online research, which is aimed at expanding trainee knowledge and to add value to workplace practice.

The layout of assessment questions has been changed to a table format where possible. This guides the trainee in terms of evidence required for assessment and means the assessor has fewer questions to assess, without compromising the standard of evidence required. The use of this format also means assessors won’t have to provide repetitive feedback to learners.

Changes to the Aka Toi modules
There have been some changes to the Aka Toi modules in what the trainees will see.

There is a new area for trainees called Assessment – Are you ready to start?

Careerforce is in the process of reviewing a number of Level 2 and Level 3 Health and Wellbeing Unit Standards. It is important that all our stakeholders are aware of the review process and how they can keep informed.

Starting in mid-August, the unit standard review will be carried out through targeted consultation and online meetings; followed by broader consultation via the Careerforce website to ensure that as much of the sector as possible has had a chance to contribute.

The initial targeted consultation round will be completed by early September, and all updates from the review process will be available on the Careerforce website.
Progress and updated documents will be available on: https://www.careerforce.org.nz/unit-standards-review/

If you would like to participate in the review, please direct queries about this review to qualreview@careerforce.org.nz.

We know that trainee motivation can be a key barrier to their training activity and completion success. In addition, one of the key themes emerging from the recent Careerforce Employer Survey was a need for greater direct trainee support and communication.

As a result, Careerforce will shortly commence a series of new touchpoints that will act as little nudges and gentle encouragement where necessary to help spur trainees along. These communications will also include regular progress reports.