All programmes developed by non-university tertiary providers that lead to a qualification on the New Zealand Qualification and Credential Framework (NZQCF) must be approved by NZQA.
To gain programme approval or accreditation, tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must meet the requirements of the Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules.
These rules state that to maintain their approval or accreditation to deliver NZQA-approved programmes, TEOs must:
- have an effective system for moderation of assessment materials and decisions
- have the capability and capacity to ensure assessment materials and decisions are fair, valid, consistent and appropriate for the level, given the stated learning outcomes.
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Effective internal moderation systems
The main purpose of an internal moderation system is to provide assurance that assessment is fair, valid, consistent and appropriate, given the stated learning outcomes.
Robust assessment and moderation practice are crucial in confirming the credibility of the qualification that a learner achieves.
We don't prescribe how TEOs manage their internal moderation systems for each programme. But the minimum requirement under the Rules is that the system must be effective in moderating assessment materials and assessor decisions.
An effective internal moderation system:
- ensures that all assessment materials (tasks and marking guidance) are moderated and approved before being used with learners (pre-assessment moderation)
- verifies the fairness, validity, and consistency of assessor decisions before results are reported (post-assessment moderation)
- provides feedback to assessors, assessment writers, and programme developers on the quality and effectiveness of assessment materials
- is flexible and accommodates a variety of learning outcomes, and assessment contexts (for example, on-site moderation for practical outcomes)
- clearly defines the role of all internal participants
- informs training and ongoing professional development opportunities
- provides participants with enough time to complete their moderation activities
- is viewed by participants as a value-add activity
- results in regular reviews, updates to assessments, and improved assessment practice
- contributes to the continuous improvement of the programme and its relevance to the end-user (for example, a future employer).
Designing assessment materials
When designing assessment tasks and marking guidance and rubrics, it’s important to consider the following:
- Ensure that assessment tasks and assessment conditions give the learner the opportunity to achieve all learning outcomes and conditions relating to the graduate profile outcomes at the appropriate level.
- Focus on the approved learning outcomes and the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) level when designing assessments, quality-assuring assessment materials and marking learner work.
- Marking guidance has clear, quantitative and qualitative performance criteria as it relates to each learning outcome.
- Marking sheets and rubrics include a statement that indicates how many course criteria need to be passed to achieve the learning outcomes.
- Develop guidance for moderators to consider whether marks awarded to learner responses are appropriately aligned to the tasks and learning outcomes in marking schedules.
- Update assessment materials regularly to ensure currency and reduce the risk of academic dishonesty.
Effective moderation processes
To create and implement effective internal moderation systems and processes, consider the following:
- Create and use standardised pre-assessment moderation forms to promote process consistency and ensure moderators are checking assessment materials against the relevant learning outcomes and performance criteria.
- Pre-assessment moderate all newly self-developed or changed assessment material and material that is commercially produced or gained from other sources. It is the responsibility of the TEO assessing the learners to ensure that the assessment material is fit for purpose even if the third party states the material has been pre-assessment moderated.
- Design post-assessment moderation forms to focus on validating the learner evidence against the learning outcomes and to the NZQCF expected level of achievement.
- Conduct internal pre and post-assessment moderation for all standards rather than rely solely on external moderation scheduled by a standard-setting body.
- Design and implement an effective system for tracking moderation processes, including resubmission of materials after initial feedback for verification prior to next use.
- Ensure all teaching staff are fully trained in their appropriate roles, meet any CMR requirements, and are aware of the moderation policies and processes.
- Verify that all internal or external moderators are appropriately qualified and experienced in moderation.
- Contact NZQA's Approvals and Accreditation team when making any Type 1 or 2 changes to assessments, learning outcomes, weightings or programme delivery approved by NZQA.
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Ensure that policy, processes, and staff practice align to ensure robust pre and post-assessment moderation.
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Have clear, comprehensive policies and processes for pre and post-assessment moderation, which detail:
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when moderation will occur
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how learner samples will be selected
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who is responsible at each stage
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how moderation outcomes will be followed up
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what records need to be kept.
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- Maintain separation of roles where possible, so that the moderator is independent of both the assessment designer and the assessor or verifier.
- Schedule and complete pre-assessment moderation to allow sufficient time for the assessment developer to incorporate any changes required by the moderator before it is used.
- Conduct post-assessment moderation to verify the fairness, validity, and consistency of assessor decisions. Ideally, this should occur for each assessment each time it is delivered, or annually before results are reported to learners.
- Where an assessment is delivered at several sites, learner samples should be selected from each location to check on the consistency of marking across assessors.
- Use post-assessment moderation as a further opportunity to verify that the assessment material allows learners to produce sufficient evidence to meet all the requirements of the learning outcomes at the required level.
- Use pre and post-assessment moderation to provide feedback to assessment writers, assessors and programme developers on the quality and effectiveness of assessment materials.
- Use flexible methods of moderation, for example, cluster or on-site, to accommodate a variety of learning outcomes and assessment contexts.
- Promote moderation as a value-added activity that informs training and professional development and contributes to the continuous improvement of the programme.
- If possible, use an external moderator to supplement internal pre and post-assessment moderation. This is not compulsory but is an additional layer of quality assurance and provides an external benchmark for the level and quality of learner evidence.
- Retain learner assessment materials, including any audio-visual recording, for moderation in accordance with the PTE Enrolment and Academic Record Rules.