SECTION 3 - EVIDENCE
What Is Evidence?
Evidence is proof that a learner possesses a skill to a required level of competence or that they have knowledge and understanding of the subject sufficient to meet the requirements of the target qualification.
Types of Evidence
1 Performance Evidence
Performance evidence is the assessment of a learner doing a task against a set of criteria. The performance of the task is as important as the outcome. There may not always be a tangible outcome to the task.
Performance Evidence can be taken from:
Performance evidence is gathered by observing how effectively or competently the learner goes about the completion of tasks and by assessing their competence in this against performance criteria which are set by the awarding body.
This evidence is used in the speaking and listening element of the final assessment.
2 Knowledge Evidence
Knowledge evidence is the assessment of a learner’s underpinning knowledge of the practical tasks they are asked to perform. It is used to check that the learner has true understanding of what they are asked to do and fully appreciates the reasons behind the methods they have been taught to use.
Knowledge evidence is taken from assessing written work or the end assessment.
Sources of Evidence
There are many sources of evidence to look for when teaching and gathering evidence of underpinning knowledge. The teacher/tutor should aim for a mix of some of the following:
- Natural performance
- Observation
- Role-play/simulations
- Learner and peer reports
- Witness statements
- Questioning
- Assignments
- Projects
- Presentations/demonstrations
- Case studies
- Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
- Tests and examinationsss
The appropriate combination of sources of evidence should be discussed with individual learners and should be tailored to each learner’s particular needs and requirements.
Ways Of Assessing Performance Evidence:
1 Natural Performance
Observing learners unobtrusively in a natural situation during class time can be a good way of collecting evidence. It can indicate a learner’s real ability and approach to the tasks they are working on and to the skills they are using. Learners will feel relaxed and will not always be aware that you are assessing them but feedback and recognition of work done should always be given.
2 Role-plays/simulations
Simulations or role-plays are valuable if the required evidence for a qualification does not arise naturally in the course of the learner’s everyday activities.
If simulations are used, you must ensure that they are as realistic as possible within sensible and legal boundaries. If you are unsure of the validity of setting up a simulation, you must seek advice from an expert in the subject or qualification.
3 Candidate and peer reports
Candidate reports could take a written or verbal form. If written, it could be a formal report or be more informal such as a diary or weekly log. Verbally, a report could take the form of a taped diary/log or a spoken report periodically delivered to the teacher/tutor.
Peer reports could also be in both verbal and written formats and would allow learners to comment on each others’ performance in role-plays or simulations or as a member of a team in a workplace.
4 Witness statements
It is not possible for any assessor to be with a particular group of learners the whole time when they might produce evidence. Witness statements from other suitable persons can be valuable pieces of evidence from practical situations in your organisation.
The typical witness is another teacher/tutor/assessor or support worker of the candidate. Their contribution can be vital in providing confirmation that aspects of criteria have been demonstrated.
Best practice is that the most efficient use of witness testimony will follow on from a discussion between the candidate and teacher/tutor. The witness can be required to provide short signed and dated endorsements on, for example, photographs of artefacts produced by the candidate, critical incident reports or case histories.
If you accept witness statements as evidence, you must be quite sure that the person who has provided the statement is qualified to make a judgement about the learner’s performance against the specified criteria for the target qualification. If the witness is not qualified, you could accept a statement from them which describes exactly what the learner has done, and then you could use other assessment techniques to check the learner’s knowledge until you are satisfied that they did meet the appropriate standards.
Finally, the name, relationship to candidate and contact details of the witness must be clear in the evidence portfolio. Witness testimony must be sampled and witnesses interviewed as part of internal and external verifiers’ audits.
Note A witness statement is not the same thing as an assessor statement. Only a qualified assessor can do an assessment and provide an assessor statement.
Ways of assessing Knowledge Evidence:
5 Questioning
Both verbal and written questioning gives the teacher/tutor the opportunity to gauge the learner’s understanding and allows them to demonstrate their underpinning knowledge. Questioning can be done during feedback sessions and can be used to check whether learners can understand their mistakes when errors are pointed out or to explore in greater depth a situation which has arisen.
- Oral questions
Oral questioning is used to check a learner’s underpinning knowledge of the subject. The learner can be asked questions about a subject which has just taken place or more general questions to check on their knowledge about other topics in which they are involved. If the answers to the oral questioning are to provide final portfolio evidence, concise but clear notes should be made at the time by the assessor. These notes should be signed and dated by the learner and by the assessor for verification purposes.
- Written questions
Written questions could be set in the contexts of task sheets, short tests or homework and can take several forms from short to extended answers. They are a valuable assessment tool to check a learner’s underpinning knowledge as it gives the teacher/tutor the opportunity to ask more searching questions and the learner the opportunity to think about their answers and to do some research if necessary. Once the answers have been assessed, the learner and their assessor have some tangible evidence which can form a basis for discussion and there will be a record of the answers in the portfolio.
- Pre-set questions
These could be set by the assessor as homework, or given under test conditions. In some circumstances, they could also be examination questions set by the Awarding Body. In this case, all learners doing the qualification are being given the same sets of questions in the interests of fairness and standardising assessment practices. A bank of questions may be produced which are used for assessment purposes by all assessors for a standard approach.
- Assessor devised questions
These would generally be set by the teacher/tutor. Some sets of questions may need to be specifically devised to test certain required skills. Other questions can be devised to be used as a learning tool for the learner and an assessment tool for the teacher/tutor. They are valuable in that they allow the teacher/tutor to be responsive to the particular conditions under which the learner is working.
6 Assignments
Assignments could allow learners to do some research and to demonstrate their organisational skills. A well produced assignment gives the learners the opportunity to demonstrate their underpinning knowledge in some depth and is a practical method of assessing knowledge evidence in one piece of work.
7 Projects
A project can be a compilation of paper-based evidence which is used to check underpinning knowledge or it can be a long-term project which is a mixture of practical activities and paper-based proof.
8 Presentations/demonstrations
Learners could be asked to give a presentation or do a demonstration where they could show their underpinning knowledge and their practical skills. This could also be used to evidence oral skills if appropriate.
9 Case studies
Case studies can be useful for allowing learners to analyse and evaluate realistic but theoretical situations of a kind in which they may not be involved until they are in employment. Any case studies presented to learners should be as realistic as possible in scenario and should contain all the required information (or clearly indicate what preliminary research needs to be done) for the learners to make value judgements.
10 Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
Accreditation of Prior Learning is important whenever it is acceptable to the awarding body and where learners can provide proof of skills and expertise. Repetition of work which they have already successfully passed can be frustrating and can ultimately affect their performance.
If it is a skill which can easily become out-dated without constant practice, you should accept that the learner has some valuable knowledge and will probably require only a minimum of instruction, but you may prefer to check that the learner’s skills are still of current value.
You must ensure that the evidence the learner wishes to present to you is still valid in terms of its currency, no more than two years is the normal acceptable limit but you must check time limits for validity with your Awarding Body.
Be careful! A qualification which is suitable for APL when a learner begins a new programme of study, could have expired in terms of validity by the time you are claiming certification for the target qualification.
Evidence which is suitable for APL can be:
- A certificate of achievement.
- Skill or knowledge which the learner can demonstrate to be to the required standard without further tuition being necessary.
12 Tests and examinations
Tests can be used either to test a learner’s knowledge or to assess how well they can work in strictly controlled situations and under strict time constraints. Tests can be written or verbal and can be done with an individual learner or with a group of learners. The tests could be written by the assessment team or by the awarding body.