VET Assessment: A Student Perspective

Abstract

This paper provides insights into the perceptions and perspectives of
 vocational education students regarding the relevance and quality of the
 assessment processes they have experienced in the VET sector. It is based on a
 series of semi-structured interviews (Borg&Gall 1989) conducted over a two
 year period with 132 vocational learners. The focus of the interviews was on
 what the students were actually thinking and feeling about the assessment
 process as they experienced it. Purposive sampling was used, with the final
 sample generally representative of the Australian vocational education and
 training student population with respect to training provider, geographic
 location, gender, cultural background, age and industry sector. A thematic
 approach (Leedy 1997) was used to analyse the data, with the focus on the
 common ‘themes’ (sets of related issues, suggestions, perspectives) that
 emerged from an holistic analysis of the data. The reporting of the findings in
 the paper includes actual comments made by students. Key findings include:
 quality assessment processes are seen to be essential for giving industry
 credibility to the qualification; the nature and quality of the assessment
 process is closely linked to student self-perception as a learner; current
 assessment processes are frequently seen to focus on the quantity rather than
 the quality of the evidence collected; written tests and examinations are seen to
 significantly disadvantage learners with inadequate literacy skills, and
 generally are not believed to be a powerful way of validating the outcomes of
 learning; assessment standards and processes are seen to exhibit marked
 inconsistencies across providers for students undertaking the same programs
 of study or for adults seeking recognition of their prior learning; ungraded
 competency-based assessment processes are not perceived to provide a strong
 motivation to students to achieve excellence; and there are widespread
 concerns among students about the educational and industry-based credibility
 of some assessors.