Skill Assessment and Digital Platform

Skill Assessment

Comparison of actual performance of a skill with the specified standard (NSQF level) is called skill assessment. skill must exceed the standard performance level by complying the four principles of skill assessments such as validity, reliability, fairness and flexibility.

Formative assessments should be implemented by Training Partners in Skill Eco System

The Formative assessment is to be implemented while training the candidates in the training locations, it provides feedback for remedial work and corrections so coaching may be required in such case. This kind of skill assessment is generally implemented by Trainers or Training Partners/Training Companies.

Formative assessments are formal and informal tests, tasks, quizzes, discussions or observations taken during the learning process. These assessments identify strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback to modify the consequent learning activities to facilitate efficient learning and skill development.

Summative assessments should be implemented by Assessing Body in the Skill Eco System

Summative assessments assess the combinations of skills (at NSQF level) and their foundation knowledge may provide greater efficiency. Summative skill assessment is to check whether the candidates' competence has been achieved at the end of training. At this point remedial work may no longer be practicable. When summative assessment show the poor occupational performance of candidates, this mean assessor must provide clear and unbiased feedback of the candidate's interest in same or other trade. This assessment is implemented by Assessing Bodies.

Importance of Digital Platform

1. Improved service efficiency: It improved the service efficiency of assessment of candidates, the result can be processed immediately as compare to paper examinations.
2. Save paper: It makes paperless working eco-system. this may have a good cascading effect on green earth.
3. Improved transparency and security: Authorized bodies can do remote monitoring of the assessments and analyse all the records of the assessments.
4. Online Questions Shuffling system: This can make reduce the risk of any leakage when the every time question paper is shuffled or different.
5. Improved reliability: This can improve reliability in the assessment due to reducing the human errors.
6. Digital Records : the digital records can be stored forever not only 10 years or 20 years.
7. Scope of Innovation: There are a lot of scope for innovation for skill assessments in online system.

Four Principles of Skill assessment

1. Validity

Validity is the primary requirement for skill assessment. Without validity, there is no important of other other characterstics.

Training standard that specifies that the competency is the benchmark for assessment. validity means that an assessment process effectively assesses what it is claimed and intended to assess. There may be a requirement for periodical validation of assessment tools. This process generally involves mapping the tools against the standard and checking that the tools comply with the other principles of assessment.

The valid assessment tools for a skill therefore need to be designed so that they allow the skill to be tested in compliance with the requirements of the standard. It can be useful to map the assessment tools to the specific competences to ensure that they cover the full scope of the standard.

The following validity should be ensured before assessing the assessment:

• Validity of assessors : Assessor must be certified through SSCs or MSDE authorized Institution. The validity may be for a limited period so that he/she can be undergone up-skilling.
• Validity of Question Bank/Question Papers: The Question Banks/Question paper should be designed as per QP/NOS criteria of SSCs/NSDC/MSDE.
• Validity of Assessment Tools: Theory, Practical and Viva.
• Validity of online assessment Platform: Validity of the online assessment Platform should be validated through SSC. In this case SSC setup an standard for online assessments. There must be a scope for enhancement in the online application so that innovation can be done in future.
• Validity for Innovation: The assessment agency can innovate the new idea of conducting assessments but this should be validated through respective SSCs.
• Validity of record keeping system: Validity of record keeping system should be validated by SSCs. They should validate the procedure of recording also.

2. Reliability

After validity, reliability is very essential. A reliable assessment is one where the evidence elicited and interpretation of evidence is consistent with the skill required, so that the assessment consistently produces outcomes that are compliant with the standard. The assessment decision of a given observed performance should not vary for different assessors. The same evidence should lead to the same outcome.

It is found that computer based or online Assessments is more reliable than manual /pen paper assessments. Theory paper can be feed on the online system as per QP/NOS and regional language criteria. In terms of practical assessments, partial practical assessment can be assessed through online system through an innovative way.

To achieve this, the assessment tool must provide a manual to the assessors and candidates in order to understand the reliability of the system. Assessing body should provide sufficient training and briefing to the assessors and subsequently the assessor and technical executive must provide a proper briefing to the candidates so that candidates can trust on the online assessment system and they must be encouraged.

3. Fairness

Fainess is very critical characterstics of skill assessment. To make assessment very fair, the process must be clearly understood by all the stakeholder of skilling system from NSDC to the candidates, and there must be agreement by both assessors and candidates that candidates’ reasonable needs circumstances are addressed.

Assessing body must maintain the fairness of the online assessment so that the confidence of all the stakeholders should be maintained. When there is any doubt on the fairness of the system, ABs should clarify and give a demonstration on the fairness. AB should develop an ethical governing council for maintaining the fairness of assessments.

4. Flexibility

Variability of time, occupation of the candidates, circumstances, variation of the candidates, tools, equipment, location, environmental conditions and other variation which are not under the control of assessors should be addressed, but must be under the scope of competence requirements as per NSQF standards. However reasonablie flexibility also be addressed but can't be compromised with the quality of assessments. Flexibility does not mean bending the rules, or failing to comply with the specifications of the standards.

Assessment methodology

Practical Skill is usually assessed direct observation of performance in conditions as close as reasonably practicable to the circumstances in which the skill would normally be practiced.

Where this is not reasonably practicable, simulations may be appropriate, to whatever level of accuracy is available. Assessment of realistic combinations of skills may save a lot of time, and scenarios may be devised that allow simultaneous and sequential assessments of several skill in one assessment session.

The number of repetitions required will also depend on how critical the skill is considered to be. A single successful demonstration may be sufficient to show that the candidate can perform a task when the consequences are minor. Several sequential faultless performances may be required if another person's life will depend on correct performance.

1. Assessment Methodology The Assessment Methodology consists of four main steps along with a set of sub-steps. The methodology is as follows:

• Install the theory, practical and viva question papers into the online systems. Shuffling of Question Sets should be according to QP-NOS wise norms.
• Implement Standing Operating Procedure of Assessment by the assessor to follow when assessing the performance of the candidates.
• Practical assessments should be conducted and recorded the performance events of each candidates assessed
• Uploading of the Batches (Registed and validated candidates by SSC) into the online system.

2.Design the approach to be used for the assessment.

Assessor should assess the assessment requirement such as tools, equipments, hardware, software, simulators and expendibles to be available in the Assessment Center. This guideliens must be shared by SSC as well as AB to the Training Partner. Assessor must ensure there is no lacking in the requisites in case any gaps he/she must inform to AB or SSC.

When Assessor is satisfied as per norms then he should start the practical assessment to check and record the performance events of each candidate.

3.Collect and analyze the evidence.

The important responsiblity of Assessor to collect and analyse the evidence of the performance of the candidates. He should give individual feedback of the candidates' performance to the Assessing Body. Feedback should include candidates's individual performance may be poor or excellent. The poor performers's record must be prepared so that they can improve in future, this process is very typical but necessary for skill development.

4.Report the findings to the assessee.

Reports include result sheet and feedback of the individual candidates and also suggesstion for poor performers and endorsements for excellent performers.

For example: The excellent performers can look for next level of skill and poor performers should improve in such and such areas.

Assessment tools

Practical skills of the candidates must be assessed through some stages of activies. Assessors must record the performances of the candidates in each sequence and may repeat when there is little gap. In case there is more gap then such candidate should be segregated for further training or grooming in the area or stage where is he lacking in skills.

Practical assessment using tools, equipment and expendables through a process of various stages should be developed in advance as an assessment tool. Videos must taken during practical performance of each candidate for future evidence, there is no limit of video recording but it should show the complete picture of assessment of each candidate.

Ajay Bhatt

Writer is working as Head of Department in a Delhi Based Assessing Body in Skill Development.