TAEASS401 Plan Assessment Activities and Processes Assignment

Assessment task 1 – Short-answer questions

1. Instructions

This assessment task requires that you answer a series of questions related to this topic.

1.1 Decision-making rules

To achieve a satisfactory result, you must answer all questions correctly and the answers must include the number of examples stated in the question.  Each of your responses must be at least one-to-two sentences in length.

1.2 Context of assessment

This assessment task may be completed in a classroom, workplace or independent learning environment.  Submissions must be made in written form unless reasonable adjustments are approved by the RTO manager.  Submissions may be handwritten or in soft copy.

Assessment task 2 – Assessment planning

1. Instructions

This assessment task involves you planning five separate assessment events against five different units of competency, with three of the assessments being suitable for use in a training and assessment (T&A) pathway assessment, and two of the assessments being suitable for use in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessments. Each planned assessment must cover the entire unit of competency. As part of this planning, you are also required to modify and adapt existing assessment instruments to suit the needs of the scenario and context provided.

For each of the five scenarios you must review the given scenario and the current assessment plan including contextualisation guidance from the developer and instruments provided below.  Consider and reflect on the following as part of your review:

• Are the existing assessment methods suitable for this group and context based on the scenario above?
• If not, what changes would you recommend and why?
• Would any of this affect the existing assessment mapping?
• Review the contextualisation advice provided by the developer in the relevant training package Companion Volume – does this tool comply with these?

You must then review and, where required, update the following sections of the plan and instruments to be specific to the candidate/s and the scenario:

• Target group summary
• Purpose and context
• Relevant assessment instrument/s: Update these for the scenario and requirements. Once this is done you can then finalise the remaining sections of the plan.
• Assessment methods
• Location
• Applicable industry standards
• Reasonable adjustment
• Resources for assessor
• Resources for candidates
• Indicate from whom you would request approval for the changes 
• Add in your name as the reviewer of the plan and instruments
• Add the date you have reviewed and updated the plan and instruments

Note 1: We have shaded the sections you are required to review and where required to update in blue. 

Note 2: You can only edit areas of the plan and instruments that you are expected to review and potentially update.

Note 3: You will subsequently confirm that the instruments meet the required standards and specific workplace/candidate needs by asking a colleague to review your draft forms and recording their feedback in Assessment Task 3 (in section 4).  Ideally, you would ask this of a fellow trainer or assessor however, if you do not have access to such a person, you may ask a fellow student or another adult human capable of providing meaningful feedback.

1.1 Decision-making rules

In your assessment plans you must:

1. Include a summary of the actual target group or candidate to be assessed. 
2. Describe the purpose and context of the assessment. 
3. You must review each unit of competency and then verify that the associated plan’s assessment map fully addresses the unit.  
4. Review the assessment location and assessment methods indicated in the assessment map and make note of all changes or modifications (if any) that you intend to make to the instruments.  
5. Modify the assessment instruments so that they:

• Meet the required unit of competency and are contextualised to the specific workplace/candidate needs identified in the assessment plans.
• They gather evidence against the standards in accordance with the rules of evidence and the principles of assessment.  
• They include clear written instructions for the candidate and the assessor (including assessor marking guide) regarding the use of assessment instruments.

6. List any applicable industry or workplace standards for the assessment, including any specific assessment requirements. 
7. Consider any requirement for reasonable adjustment that may be appropriate.
8. Outline of the resources for assessor and candidates.
9. Include details for approval and review.

In addition, your assessor will be looking for your ability to:

• Interpret competency standards as the minimum standard for assessment, and
• Interpret and follow guidelines for contextualising units of competency.

1.2 Context of assessment

This assessment task may be completed in a classroom, workplace, or independent learning environment.  Submissions must be made in written form unless reasonable adjustments are approved by the RTO manager.  Submissions may be handwritten or in soft copy.

2. Scenario 1: SIRXWHS001 Work safely

2.1 Description 

We have five students who are early school leavers and are starting a course next week that runs for three weeks.  The course has been designed to address some units from the Certificate I in Retail Services including unit SIRXWHS001 Work safely, with the aim for students to potentially be suitable for a traineeship or progress into further study (such as the Certificate II in Workplace Skills) and be able to credit some of the units.  

At the completion of the three weeks classroom training these students will be completing work experience for 10 days.  The observation assessment tasks can be carried out in the actual workplaces.  The five students will all be placed in various supermarkets (e.g., Woolworths, Coles, IGA or ALDI) for the work experience component.

In addition to reviewing the assessment plan for SIRXWHS001 Work safely you have also been asked to develop a scenario for observation one (emergency simulation scenario) that can be carried out during their work experience.  For this scenario you must revise the following:

• The assessor instructions include a SMART description of a suitable emergency scenario that could be simulated for the workplace context, ensuring you also advise any preparation the assessor may need to do to set this up.
• The candidate instructions advising them of the scenario.
• The assessment checklist for appropriate actions that should be observed whilst responding to the specific emergency.

Be sure to review and modify / contextualise as necessary all areas in blue within the following plan and instruments.

2.2 Assessment plan

3. Scenario 2: FSKNUM017 Use familiar and routine maps and plans for work

3.1 Description

We have nine students who are undertaking the Certificate II in Workplace Skills course to improve employment prospects. They are all also working as delivery drivers in your local area in a range of contexts such as Uber/Deliveroo, supermarkets, and couriers).  As part of their qualification, they are completing the unit FSKNUM017 Use familiar and routine maps and plans for work.

The previous trainer and assessor for this unit has advised that questions 1-3 were not compliant and very poorly answered.  They would like you to develop some new questions for those specific Knowledge Evidence requirements relating to KE1 (Common features on routine maps and plans), KE3 (cardinal directions) and KE3 (coordinates) before these students are assessed for this unit.

Be sure to review and modify / contextualise as necessary all areas in blue within the following plan and instruments.

3.2 Assessment plan

4. Scenario 3: BSBPEF202 Plan and apply time management

4.1 Description

We have six learners who are located in a range of remote areas.  They are workers employed by a mining corporation aged 45-60 who cannot return to their previous labour / construction-based roles due to various injuries.  They have been entered into a redeployment program that will include the Certificate II in Workplace Skills and a work placement in a low-level office-based role to assist them with developing some routine office administrative skills.  They will be in the redeployment program for up to 12 months.

The first unit they are completing as part of this program is BSBPEF202 Plan and apply time management.  This unit has previously been delivered to students in a classroom.  In addition to reviewing the assessment plan you have also been asked to adapt the Observation instructions for assessors and candidates for the observation to be suitable for the assessor to conduct this over an online meeting application such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams as the Assessor cannot physically travel to all the remote locations for them.

For this scenario you need to revise the following:

• The assessor instructions to include information that the observation will be carried out using the relevant meeting application, how much notice the candidate should be given, that the assessor is to create and advise the student of the meeting link, anything the candidate should do to prepare and anything else you feel is relevant so that the assessment task could be successfully carried out.
• The candidate instructions to ensure these are now relevant to carrying out this meeting online.

Be sure to review and modify / contextualise as necessary all areas in blue within the following plan and instruments.

4.2 Assessment plan

5. Scenario 4: BSBWRT311 Write simple documents (RPL)

5.1 Description

Juanita White works in a Real Estate office in the property management section.  She has been with them for two years and is looking to undertake RPL of BSBWRT311 Write simple documents to have some of her skills recognised and to advance her opportunities for other employment.  Her duties include answering the phone for incoming enquiries, updating lists of properties available for rent, responding to emails from potential renters regarding availability of properties, flyers for the display windows on properties available, staff meeting minutes, preparing inspection report results to email to owners, liaising with maintenance personnel for the properties, issuing receipts for rent payments, completing various internal forms and records such as timesheets, leave requests.

For this scenario you are asked to develop a list of three specific documents for Juanita to provide that would meet the requirements of the unit’s performance evidence based on your understanding of her duties.  Update the Product assessment instrument with the specific information on the documents for her to provide in her evidence.  Revise the following:

• The assessor instructions to include a SMART description of the three specific documents she will be asked to provide examples of
• The candidate instructions advising her of the three specific documents she should provide
• The assessment checklist for the three specific documents and ensure that all requirements for what each document should demonstrate to be satisfactory is relevant and complete.

Be sure to review and modify / contextualise as necessary all areas in blue within the following plan and instruments.

5.2 Assessment plan

6. Scenario 5: BSBPEF401 Manage personal health and wellbeing (RPL)

6.1 Description

Max Brown is looking to RPL as part of a qualification the elective unit BSBPEF401 Manage personal health and wellbeing.  This unit is of personal interest to Max as he recently was required to develop and implement a plan for his personal situation he called “Adjusting to return from active duty”.  He has reviewed the requirements for evidence and has a difficulty providing one of the evidence requirements.  He is in Defence and while he is able to discuss and provide a copy of his personal plan, he cannot provide any correspondence around proving the plan was discussed and approved by relevant personnel due to strict Defence requirements (PE1.3 “present personal health and wellbeing strategy to relevant personnel”).  He has spoken with the relevant Human Resources representative (Jennifer Smythe) who has agreed that she can provide a verbal or in writing confirmation in place of this.

For this scenario you need to revise the following:

• Remove the PE1.3 “present personal health and wellbeing strategy to relevant personnel” reference from the Products assessment instrument
• Create a Third Party Report for the relevant person from the scenario to complete to provide evidence for PE1.3 “present personal health and wellbeing strategy to relevant personnel”.  As part of this you need to complete the following in the Third party Report template provided:

• In instructions to Assessors indicate why the third party report is required, outline who can be a suitable third party, what does the person need to indicate/complete and how should they provide the report to you
• In the Instructions to the candidate/third party you need to indicate why the third party report is required, outline who can be a suitable third party, what does the person need to indicate/complete and how should they provide the report to you
• The assessment checklist for appropriate detail (in wording the Supervisor will understand – not necessarily the same wording as in the unit) exactly what they are confirming

Be sure to review and modify / contextualise as necessary all areas in blue within the following plan and instruments.

6.2 Assessment plan

Assessment Task 3: Trial Assessments

1. Instructions 

This assessment task requires you to trial the assessment instruments you developed as part of Assessment Task 2, gather feedback from at least two of your peers, and answer a series of questions relating to that trial.  Ideally you would ask this of fellow trainers or assessors however, if you do not have access to such persons, you may ask fellow students, colleagues or friends to review your work.   

Note: The term ‘trial’ for the context of this assessment is a focus on checking and confirming that the assessment instruments are meeting the required standards and are specific to the workplace and candidate’s needs.

Specifically, you must:

1. Hold a meeting: Invite two or more peers to trial the five assessment tools you developed for Assessment Task 2 and hold a meeting with them to cover the following:

• You must explain the purpose of the trial, where and when it will be conducted, and their roles.  You must provide a thorough description of the background to this project, including the required standards and specific workplace and candidate needs that the instruments must meet.  
• You must communicate effectively with the people trialling your tools, and your assessor must observe your practical interactions during this meeting:
• A qualified assessor must witness your meeting:
  • If you undertake this assessment task in a classroom environment, then you will meet and trial with your fellow students and your trainer will witness this in class. 
  • If you undertake this assessment task out of the class, then you may wish to meet with two colleagues via our closed Facebook page to assist you in trialling your tools.  You may choose to hold a separate one-on-one meeting with each of your colleagues (i.e., have two meetings), or else hold a single meeting with both colleagues.  You may elect to meet either electronically or in face-to-face meetings.  You must also have access to digital technology to record the video and audio of your interactions, e.g., using a smartphone or PC webcam, and you must then submit a copy of the digital recording with this workbook or a link to an online copy (e.g., located on DropBox or Google Drive). Your assessor will then assess your submitted recordings. 
  • You may also elect to have your meeting observed by another qualified assessor in your workplace.  This means that the assessor must possess either: 
    • The TAE50111 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training; or 
    • The TAE50116 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training; or 
    • The TAE50211 Diploma of Training Design and Development; or 
    • The TAE50216 Diploma of Training Design and Development; or 
    • A higher-level qualification in adult education

If this option is selected, you must provide a copy of your assessor’s testamur with this workbook and the assessor must complete the assessment checklist in sections 4.2.1 and the statutory declaration in section 4.2.2.

Record the details of the discussions in section 4.2.

2. The persons chosen to trial the assessments must then trial your five assessment instruments.
3. Gather feedback from the persons trialling the five assessments and record these in the peer feedback forms in section 4.3.  
4. Identify improvements (including reasonable adjustment or contextualisation strategies) that can be made to the instruments or assessment process in section 4.4.

1.1 Decision-making rules 

To achieve a satisfactory result, you must meet all of the criteria outlined in the instructions section of this assessment task.  Your assessor will also be reviewing your discussions with the trial reviewers to confirm the following:

• Demonstrating active listening by asking open questions and seeking feedback.
• You must effectively use oral communication skills to participate in exchanges about assessment processes and the trialling of instruments appropriate to the audience – including:
  • Using the seven C’s of communication: 
    • Completeness: The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required by the audience. 
    • Conciseness: Conciseness means wordiness, i.e., communicating what you want to convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C’s of communication. 
    • Consideration: Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e., the audience’s viewpoints, background, mind-set, education level, etc. 
    • Clarity: Clarity implies emphasising on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than trying to achieve too much at once. 
    • Concreteness: Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens confidence. 
    • Courtesy: Courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender’s expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. 
    • Correctness: Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors in communication.
• You must demonstrate that you can collaborate with others as part of routine activities and to confirm their understanding – including at least two of the following techniques: 
  • Look for common ground: Find shared values, consider shared personal experiences, pay attention to and give feedback, be yourself and expect the same of others, be willing to accept differences in perception and opinions.
  • Learn about others: Consider their perspectives and needs, appeal to the highest motives, let others express themselves freely.
  • Critique results, not people: Do not waste time on personal hostility, make other people feel good, avoid criticism and put downs.
  • Give and get respect: Show respect for others' opinions, be considerate and friendly, put yourself in the other person's shoes, be responsive to emotions, speak with confidence but remain tactful.
  • Proceed slowly: Present one idea at a time, check for understanding and acceptance of each idea before moving on to the next. Speak in an organised and logical sequence.
  • Be explicit and clear: Share your ideas and feelings, pay attention to nonverbal communication, speak clearly and make eye contact, select words that have meaning for your listeners.

Finally, the trial feedback that you document should be one-to-two paragraphs in length.