4.1 Why initial assessment?
There is no question that initial assessment, usually diagnostic assessment, is rapidly becoming one of the most significant issues, not just in key skills implementation but in work-based training generally. A recent report from the UK's Further Education Development Agency (FEDA) reported that 'Simple, appropriate and effective methods of initial assessment and action planning need to be developed and staff training for their use provided.' It is recognised that effective initial assessment could lead to training programmes more closely tuned to trainee's individual learning needs and also improve retention and completion rates. Initial assessment is particularly important in the context of key skills, especially in Application of Number and Communication. Trainees of all ages enter programmes with widely different levels of achievement in these areas and it is vital that the people who work with them should have a clear and accurate picture of their starting points, and therefore of their development needs.

In many training situations, however, there is some confusion about what adds up to good and effective practice. It seems that there is, at the outset, the need for greater clarity over:

the purpose of initial assessment;
the methods it involves; and
the demands it places on training providers.

 

4.1 What is initial or diagnostic assessment?
A good start in understanding initial assessment in most training, especially in work-based training, can be made by seeing it as one of three interlocking but quite distinct activities:

determining programme eligibility
This involves making decisions on whether individuals qualify for particular training programmes, and what has to be done to make them eligible.

recruitment and selection
This is deciding whether an individual is the best and most appropriate person to join a course, programme or fill a vacancy.

initial assessment on entry
Building up a clear, accurate and relevant picture of the individual's attainment and potential as a basis for negotiating a programme of learning and assessment opportunities.

It is initial assessment on entry which most concerns many practising trainers in the work-based route. It helps to see it not as a one-off, once-and-for-all event but as the first step in a continuous process of matching needs to opportunities.

 

4.1 What form can this assessment take?
It is important to recognise that effective initial or diagnostic assessment requires a system that is accurate, systematic, rigorous, consistent and fair. A great deal of the discussion of initial assessment has focused on the role of tests and initial assessment instruments. However, good initial assessment depends on the right blend of a range of activities, including:

using written information - qualifications, records of achievement, references, and so on. interviews - and conversations with the individual. observations - seeing how the individual performs. structured tasks and assignments - designed to give valid and reliable samples of the individual's performance. (See Annex 1 and Annex 2.) self-assessments - the individual's own views should be taken seriously.

The clear conclusion that we have come to is that there is no single test or assessment currently available that fully meets the needs of key skills initial assessment - and that it is important to see formal tests, no matter how rigorously developed, as just one item in an extensive assessment toolkit.

With this in view, the next section, 4.4, looks at a number of examples of strategies that have worked in practice. But before that a word of warning about a very important issue that impinges upon all aspects of assessment - i.e. the demands on teachers and trainers, in particular, the skills and expertise required of trainers as assessors.

The demands of key skills initial assessment are an important part of the discussion on assessment and two areas of expertise should be highlighted:

diagnostic skills - the knowledge and skills required to make accurate judgements about an individual's attainment and potential from examples of their performance - particularly in Application of Number and Communication. interpretative skills - the ability to build up an accurate picture of attainment and potential making appropriate use of all of the sources of information about a student or trainee.

Another word of warning! It was stated earlier that the assessment of key skills throws up many more problems than in more specific school-based or employment sector-based assessments. The generic and transferable nature of the key skills means that assessment has to be appropriate to a wide range of contexts. As result, the examples given below have been selected to show that they could be readily adapted to other contexts. For example, an assessment could be set in the context of a task that looks at organising a competition, finding ways to cut waste, presenting yourself and your organisation, carrying out a risk assessment or planning your self-development. The tasks can be used at different stages during a student or trainee's development. For instance, they could be used to help trainees practise their key skills at work, or later on to gather evidence for a portfolio. There are several ways of adapting tasks to the needs of an individual or an organisation:

add a cover sheet which gives any additional information and instructions - for example, timescale, who to contact, etc. add examples relevant to the student's programme or trainee's occupation. modify parts of the tasks or assignment to achieve a better fit with your local trainee or employer. extend the task to cover a wider area. modify language and wording. change the presentation - for example, by adding more 'white space' or illustrations. · add the school, college or company logo or reformat the material into an individual house style.

 

4.1 Examples of initial or diagnostic assessment
Three examples of initial or diagnostic assessment are given below:

a programme developed for use in schools and colleges with students aged 16-23, largely, those about to enter further education or first-time employment.

an example taken from a training provider programme targeting Modern Apprenticeships (for recently unemployed young people).

an example taken from a general key skills programme used by a young people who do not have a definite job choice, job seekers and the unemployed.

Does the assessment allow me (the trainee) to see my strengths and weaknesses? Does this assessment provide me (the employer) with information about this employee that allows me to provide her/him with an appropriate training programme?

 

Working your way through the ExamplesThe three 'Examples' that follow, and the others later in this 'Assessment Guide', are all presented in the same way. It is important, therefore, that their structure and possible applications are explained. The following guidelines should be used in working your way through them.

 

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