Title Layout

1. Title Layout Internal Quality Assurance

2. What is IQA? • Qualifications team must ensure that study materials (i.e. textbooks, practice questions, guidelines for tutors etc.) and assessment instrument(test questions, ) • Procedures and activities used to assure this quality are collectively referred to as Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) • Centres must have nominated people (IQAs) who are responsible for Internal Quality Assurance. • Alternative name of ‘Internal Verification (IV)’

3. Why is IQA important for RTC? • Action Points • Sanctions • Centre • Closure • IQN is responsible for upholding the quality of qualifications.  If any registered training centre(RTC) does not fulfil their part, IQN will take action…

4. IQA Policy • A formal IQA Policy, which confirms: • IQA role and responsibilities • Assessor role and responsibilities • How Assessment will be monitored • How Assessors will be supported • How records will be managed • Centre appeals processes

5. Role of Registered Training Centre (RTC) • Registered Training Centre (RTC) are officially recognised by IQN to deliver tuition on approved qualifications. • RTC needs to follow their own policy of internal quality assurance in delivering tuition on approved qualifications. • Pearson Vue test centresare officially authorisedby Pearson VUE to conduct test of our qualifications.

6. The IQA Role

7. Who can IQA? • Capable: good understanding of the subject and qualification requirements. • Qualified: Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice • Time and Authority to do the job fully

8. IQA in Detail

9. Monitoring & Supporting There are two main aspects of Internal Quality Assurance: • Monitoring: checking that assessment is accurate and fair and taking action if not. • Supporting: helping assessors to stay up to date and develop their competence.

10. Monitoring Assessment

11. Monitoring: Checking Assignment Briefs Assignment briefs must be fit-for-purpose: • strictly based on thelevel, learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the unit • clearly mapped to the relevant learning outcomes and assessment criteria • clearly explaining the tasks to be completed. The IQA must ensurethis is the case, and agreeany assignments beforethey are issued to Students

12. Monitoring: Sampling Assessment Decisions IQAs must check a sample of assessment decisions to ensure: • Assessment is accurate • Assessment is fair across different Students • Assessment by different assessors is consistent • Feedback is accurate and constructive • Assessment decisions are correctly recorded

13. Monitoring: How many to Sample? It is NOT necessary for IQAs to check every decision – just a meaningful sample: • all assessors involved must have some of their decisions sampled • examples from each unit of the qualification should be included • sampling should cover all the assignments/ assessment methods in use • ideally, every Student should have some aspect of their work sampled The IQA must produce a formal report confirming the quality of assessment before issuing certificates

14. Monitoring: Recording Sampling Findings IQAs must provide a record of their sampling, particularly: • what was sampled • whether or not the IQA agrees the decision • any further action required • confirmation that any action has been completed The IQA must produce a formal report confirming the quality of assessment before issuing certificates

15. Monitoring: Other IQA Monitoring Methods

16. Supporting Assessors

17. Supporting Assessor Competence

18. Assessor Meetings A typical meeting agenda might be: • Updates from IQA • re any changes to assessment requirements or to the qualification – and any feedback from EQA visits. • Updates from Assessors • on their recent assessment activity and issues or challenges - for general discussion with the team. • StandardisationActivity (see next slide) • based on specific development needs or challenging assessments identified by the IQA, and leading to agreements re further actions or changes to assessment practice.

19. Standardisation • A typical standardisationactivity: • All assessors and quality assurance professionals are issued with the same piece of Students work, for them to assess individually. • Individual decisions are then shared and discussed, ideally in a group meeting, but could be remotely. • Ultimately, the whole team, led by the IQA(s), agree the best approach to the assessment, which then informs everyone’s on-going practice.

20. Other IQA Responsibilities

21. Record Keeping • IQAs play a part in ensuring that the centre maintains up to date records of assessment.  • Assessment and IQA reports should be held by the centre, for a minimum period of 2 years • … and all reports made available to the EQA as required. • Also, a number of portfolios of Student work should be kept for the same period.

22. Contributing to Appeals • Students should have access to the appeals process • allows them to challenge any assessments they regard as unfair.

23. Liaison with EQA IQAs play a major part in EQA visits, which are, typically once a year, and involve: • a review of systems (centre agreement) • a review of Students work, assessment reports and IQA reports. • meetings with staff and Students. EQA completes his/her own report on the assessment of quality assurance

24. The IQA and CPD • Finally, don’t forget….. • IQAs, like Assessors, must maintain their own continued professional development

25. Any Questions?

26. The End – Thank You