One of the core units of the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification was the TAEASS502 Design and develop assessment tools unit of competency.
In the new TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification, the TAEASS512 Design and develop assessment tools unit of competency is no longer a core unit, and it is unlikely to be offered by RTOs to their TAE40122 students.
Does a trainer or TAFE teacher need the capability to design and develop an assessment tool?
Many trainers and TAFE teachers delivering the TAE40116 qualification struggled with helping their TAE40116 students learn how to design and develop assessment tools. Sometimes, this was due to a lack of time allocated for training by the RTO. And sometimes, the trainer or TAFE teacher didn’t have the capability to deliver the training on how to design and develop assessment tools. The consequence was that TAE40116 students struggled with learning and completing their assessments relating to the design and development of assessment tools. Many TAE40116 students raised their concerns or made complaints. This situation was fed into the review of the TAE40116 qualification and the subsequent development of the TAE40122 qualification.
Some RTOs delivering the TAE40116 qualification, or people working for those RTOs, said that the ‘Design and develop assessment tools’ unit of competency should no longer be a core unit for the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. This was based on TAE40116 students finding it difficult and complaining, but an argument was put that trainers and TAFE teachers didn’t need to design and develop assessment tools, therefore, the ‘Design and develop assessment tools’ unit of competency was not needed to be covered by the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification.
Do employers of qualified trainers and TAFE teachers want them to have the capability to design and develop an assessment tool?
During 2023, I have seen many assessment tools used by many RTOs, and many have of these assessment tools have been non-compliant and of poor-quality. I believe the capability of designing and developing assessment tools is urgently needed. I am unsure if employers of trainers and TAFE teachers were asked during the review of the TAE40116 qualification and the subsequent development of the TAE40122 qualification if the capability of designing and developing assessment tools was needed. I believe that no job analysis or skills needs analysis was conducted by the Education IRC. Instead, misinformed people and people with vested interests were able to influence the design of the TAE40122 qualification.
Some RTOs delivering the TAE40116 qualification, or people working for those RTOs, and others, were able to get the ‘Design and develop assessment tools’ unit of competency removed as a core unit for the TAE40122 qualification. This should result in RTOs delivering the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification getting less complaints from their students. However, the VET system will suffer because less of the VET workforce will have the capability to design and develop assessment tools – a critical skills to ensure quality outcomes in the Australian VET system. It is an issue today, and we can expect it to become a VET system failure in the future.
Looking forward, looking back
The following information provides the background and evolution of the ‘Design and develop assessment tools’ unit of competency. It starts in 1992, when Australia began to implement it’s current competency-based training system.
1992
In 1992, the Category 2 Workplace Trainer Competency Standards were released. A core requirement was ‘Develop simple assessment tools’.
This was a time before Training Packages, and it preceded the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF). However, the Category 2 Workplace Trainer Competency Standards evolved into the BSZ40198 Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training qualification. Therefore, in the language that we use today, the ‘Develop simple assessment tools’ was at the ‘AQF Level 4’.
1998
In 1998, the BSZ507A Develop assessment tools unit of competency was released as an elective unit for the BSZ50198 Diploma of Training and Assessment Systems qualification.
This means the word ‘simple’ was removed form the unit’s title and that the ‘Develop assessment tools’ was reclassified at the ‘AQF Level 5’
2004
In 2004, the TAAASS403A Develop assessment tools unit of competency was released as a core unit for the TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification.
This means that the ‘Develop assessment tools’ was reclassified again. This time it was at reclassified at the ‘AQF Level 4’. Also, this means that it had been identified as a skill required by trainers and TAFE teachers.
2010
In 2010, the TAEASS502A Design and develop assessment tools unit of competency was released as an elective unit for the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification and a core unit for the TAE50111 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training qualification.
Re-classification of the unit to be ‘AQF Level 5’ instead of ‘AQF Level 4’ indicated that a higher level of skill is required to develop quality and compliant assessment tools.
2016
Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), the national VET regulator, had conducted many audits and strategic reviews between 2013 and 2016, and it had identified that many RTOs used non-compliant and poor-quality assessment tools. During the review of the TAE40110 qualification and the subsequent development of the TAE40116 qualification, ASQA demanded that the ‘Design and develop assessment tools’ become a core unit for the new Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. The aim was to ensure the VET workforce had the capability to address this critical issue – a significant threat to the Australian VET system.
In 2016, the unit was re-released using the new format for units of competency. The unit’s code and title became TAEASS502 Design and develop assessment tools and it was a core unit for the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification.
2022
During the review of the TAE40116 qualification and the subsequent development of the TAE40122 qualification, ASQA decide to no longer argue for the ‘Design and develop assessment tools’ to remain a core unit for the new Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. ASQA was probably wanting to distance itself from the distress and dissatisfaction associated with the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. The TAE40116 qualification is the all-time most hated qualification in the Australian VET system.
In 2022, the TAEASS512 Design and develop assessment tools unit of competency was released as an elective unit for the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification and an elective unit for the TAE50122 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training qualification.
As from 2022, it is possible for a trainer or TAFE teacher to attained their Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Diploma of Vocational Education and Training qualifications without learning how to design and develop assessment tools.
Does it matter what ‘AQF level’ a unit is?
Technically speaking, qualifications have an AQF Level – and units of competency do not. For this reason, some Training Packages have removed reference to ‘AQF Level’ from the unit’s code. The following are three examples from the HLT Health Training Package.
Notice that the first number in the unit’s code has been changed to be a zero.
Previously, the unit codes for the above three HLT units provided an indication of the indicative skill level. It indicated if the unit was at a lower or higher skill level. The current coding of the same three units does not indicate the indicative skill level. However, the ‘zero’ does not alter the fact that different units are at a different skill level.
It is not unusual for a qualification to have units of competency with different skill levels. The above three HLT units are core units of the HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing qualification.
In conclusion
I acknowledge that the development of quality and compliant assessment tools can be difficult and time-consuming. However, there is no impediment having an ‘AQF Level 5’ unit as part of an AQF Level 4 qualification. Some people argue that since the TAEASS512 Design and develop assessment tools unit of competency is at the ‘AQF Level 5’, it should only be in the Diploma and not in the Certificate IV. This is nonsense. If a trainer or TAFE teacher needs particular competencies to perform their job, then those competencies should be part of their qualification – regardless of unit’s ‘AQF Level’.
The critical issue of non-compliant and poor-quality assessment tools has been repeatedly identified during various audits and strategic reviews conduct by ASQA. This issue has not yet been resolved. I believe RTOs need trainers and TAFE teachers with the skills to develop simple assessment tools. This means that trainers and TAFE teachers should be able to develop questions to gather knowledge evidence and checklists to gather performance evidence. These skills are what were identified 25 years ago, and they are the skills still required today.
RTOs delivering the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification are unlikely to offer the TAEASS512 Design and develop assessment tools unit of competency. Therefore, the typical TAE40122 graduate is unlikely to have the capability to develop simple assessment tools. Without these skills the quality of the entire VET system is at risk.
Do you need help with your TAE studies?
Are you a doing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you need help to learn how to design and develop assessment tools? Do you want help with your TAE studies?
Ring Alan Maguire on 0493 065 396 to discuss.
Training trainers since 1986
On Target Work Skills 