Internal Quality Assurance
of Qualifications
Development Workshop
for DTLLS Optional Units 22 & 37
Objectives:
By the end of the session, you will:
• Have self-assessed your existing knowledge and understanding of
the internal quality assurance (IQA) of qualifications and
identified areas for development.
• Have reviewed and discussed the context and principles of IQA.
• Be able to check that assessors meet the needs of their role and
be able to identify mechanisms for conducting an assessor risk
assessment and contributing to assessor personal, interpersonal
and professional development.
• Have discussed assessment monitoring activities, including the
planning of such activities and agreed an outline strategy for
same.
Cont’d/
Objectives continued:
By the end of the session, you will:
• Have agreed outline processes for planning, preparing and
conducting assessments and the IQA of assessments.
• Have agreed techniques for sampling evidence of assessment
and judging the quality of the assessment process.
• Considered and agreed an outline strategy for standardising
assessment practice and outcomes.
• Identified and agreed outline procedures to follow when there
are concerns about the quality of assessment, including legal and
good practice requirements (inc. those relating to complaints,
appeals and malpractice and maladministration)
The Context & Principles of IQA
What is the role of Internal Quality
Assurance of qualifications?
Ans/
The Role of IQA:
 IQA is the driver of quality assurance within National
Frameworks and within quality and management
systems of Centres.
 The IQA role is responsible for maintaining public
confidence in each and every qualification
issued………..
 Therefore Internal Quality Assurance is the key factor
in managing risk.
The Context and Principles of IQA:
What are the benefits of effective IQA?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improved learner experience
Raised learner achievement rates
Increased learner retention rates
More cost effective programmes
Regulatory requirements are met
Support for other planning and monitoring processes
such as self-assessment
The Context and Principles of IQA:
Building QA measures into all processes of the
learner journey - including:
•
•
•
•
•
Recruitment process
Induction process
Initial assessment
Learning plans
Teaching
•
•
•
•
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Facilitating learning
Reviews of progress
Assessment process
Achievement
Progression planning
The Context and Principles of IQA:
The IQA system needs to contain:
•
• A set of written IQA
procedures
•
• Sample planning based
on the principles of
‘CAMERA’
•
• Effective communication •
• Interim sampling
•
Summative sampling
Monitoring of assessor
practice (including
observation)
Standardisation activities
Sound administration
Records of the above
CAMERA/
The Context and Principles of IQA:
The IQA system needs to contain:
Sample planning based on the principles of ‘CAMERA’:






Candidates/Learners
Assessors
Methods of assessment
Evidence
Records
Assessment sites
The Role of IQA:
What are the four main aspects to the IQA role?
1. Plan, operate and evaluate internal assessment and
quality assurance systems
2. Support and develop tutors and/or assessors
3. Monitor and improve the quality of assessment
practice
4. Apply policies, procedures and legislation to meet
external/regulatory requirements.
The Role of IQA:
The primary focus of the IQA is to ensure the Centre’s
internal processes demonstrably meet external regulator’s
requirements. To do so effectively, the IQA must:
•
•
•
Plan
Operate, and
Evaluate
}
}
}
internal assessment and
quality systems
The Role of IQA:
How do you check that assessors
meet the needs of their role?
What factors should IQAs consider in
a risk assessment of an assessor?
Risk Assessment H/o
The Role of IQA:
Planning:
Planning is a proactive process.
IQAs are responsible for creating sample plans for the
qualification outlining what will be monitored.
Remember: CAMERA and risk factors in the team /
centre/ qualification
Cont’d/
The Role of IQA:
What typical risk factors should you
take into account?
The number of learners allocated to each assessor
Number of assessors
Number of sites allocated to each assessor
Experience and confidence of assessors, etc. (Risk
Assessment)
• Changes to qualifications
• Known problem areas/units/learning outcomes, etc
•
•
•
•
Cont’d/
The Role of IQA:
Typical IQA Sampling Plan:
Handout
The basic principle is that
over time and across
candidates, the IQA must
sample all the assessment
methods used in the delivery
of each qualification
Cont’d/
Sampling Plan H/o
The Role of IQA:
Planning – key questions:
When should you plan?
When should you sample assessments?
What methods of assessment are used in
your qualifications and how will you
sample those methods?
What IQA sampling records must you
keep?
Cont’d/
The Role of IQA:
Assessment sampling – points to remember:
 Sampling must be formative (interim) and summative.
 Across learners, plan to sample at the beginning, in the
middle and at the end of learners’ journey through the
qualification.
 If assessment through observation is the most prolific
assessment method, you must ensure you sample by
observing your assessors.
 Interview candidates to obtain feedback on the
assessment process.
 You must ensure a clear audit trail – records of
assessment and IQA should be simple but effective.
The Role of IQA:
Keeping IQA Records:
What Centre records are IQAs
responsible for keeping?
Cont’d/
The Role of IQA:
IQAs are typically responsible for the following
Centre Records:
• Assessor’s CVs
• Assessors CPD Records
• Authenticated (by EQA) copies of
vocational certificates
• Assessor Induction Checklists
• Assessor Risk Assessments
• IQA Sampling Strategy
• Sampling Plans
• IQA Sampling Records (feedback to
Assessor)
• IQA Observation Forms
• Candidate Interview Forms
• Assessment and certification
records (from completed portfolios –
certificate claimed)
• Minutes of team meetings
• Minutes of Standardisation Meetings
Actions for Assessors
• EQA Reports
The Role of IQA:
Standardising Assessment Practice and Processes:
How, what, when and why do you
need to standardise assessment
practice and processes?
The Role of IQA:
Standardisation – points to remember:
 Essential in Centre's that rely on part-time, dispersed and
peripatetic assessors.
 Contributes to recordable CPD and is particularly helpful
for inexperienced assessors and assessors new to the
Centre.
 Standardisation activities must be planned – treat them
like any other development activity. The IQA acts as the
facilitator.
The Role of IQA:
Standardisation – points to remember:
 Keep records and remember to highlight the activity to
your EQA – you could include a standardisation activity as
an item in your next EQA visit if you agree this with your
EQA.
 Records prove that you are standardising assessment
practice and continuously improving quality within your
Centre.
 Feedback from EQA and IQA sampling should inform
standardisation.
The Role of IQA:
Concerns about the quality of assessment:
What should you do when you have
concerns about the quality of any
aspect of assessment within your
Centre?
Cont’d/
The Role of IQA:
Concerns may be about:
Are the National Standards being adhered to?
Does the assessor have sufficient depth or breadth of
vocational knowledge and experience?
Are holistic assessment opportunities being used
effectively?
Are assessors remaining objective in their judgements?
Are candidates individual needs being met effectively?
Are candidates satisfied with the assessment process?
Are candidates aware of and understand, the complaints
and appeals procedures?
Do I suspect malpractice, or maladministration?