Giving assessors feedback in the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

The role of an IQA in the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

As an IQA, one of my key roles in ensuring that the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice is the best course our learners can receive. To do this, I need to ensure that my assessors improve and perform their job to the highest of standards to improve learner experience. The only way to do this is give them feedback. No feedback means no improvement.

Giving feedback in the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

Feedback for the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice is split into two types, informal and formal. Informal as you would imagine is at any time. If I walk into the office and happen to see one of my assessors, I may give them some feedback whilst they are there. This is informal feedback. Formal feedback has a time and place so this may be following the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice giving official feedback during a meeting or review.

We’ll ignore the methods of feedback as you’ve got verbal and non-verbal feedback. Verbal feedback is better as you can have a two-way dialogue where written should always be given as a follow up so you can prove the feedback took place and your assessor can refer back to it.

When giving feedback to any learner or my assessors delivering the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice, we need to ensure that we use constructive feedback. You’ve probably heard me banging on about this but it’s the praise sandwich. Positive feedback followed up by development feedback and then end with positive. The developmental part is in the middle. It’s a way of giving feedback without making the other person feel criticised and more accepting of your feedback. If we are too negative, then we will destroy confidence an make the other person feel defensive which will hinder any improvement.

Feedback to your assessors should be regarding the assessment process and not be critical of them as a person. It should be used to confirm competence, motivate and encourage rather than apportion blame for any reason. It should be to help your assessor develop their assessment practice, and to maintain and improve the quality of the assessment process for their learners. You should provide verbal feedback to your assessors whenever you get the opportunity. Formal feedback could be given after an observation of their practice or after sampling their assessed work. This should always be followed up with written feedback.

Other feedback methods in the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

Other feedback methods you can use is destructive. Don’t use this method but it relates to improvements but is given in too much of a negative way. Don’t do it. Think about how you would receive such criticism.

Descriptive is giving examples of what could be improved and why. It’s about helping them to improve.  Evaluative is just a statement such as ‘good’ or ‘well done’. Its not helpful as it doesn’t offer any advice to improve but can be used to boost self-esteem. If I am marking several portfolios, I won’t give development feedback on every single one as I don’t have time, but where answers are obviously correct, I may just follow up with well done to comment that I approve. When using these statements, it should be obvious to the learner but definitely use it to build self-esteem.

Constructive feedback is used in the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice and is specific and focused to confirm achievement and again to give developmental points positively. Objective feedback is feedback that related to giving facts about what has been done or what hasn’t been done. For example, you have given a description, but you have not included an example. Its clear. Subjective feedback on the other hand is your personal opinion and could be biased. For example, I think you need to add this. This is subjective. Objective is better to use however subjective could be used if your assessor asks for your opinion on something.