Controls for risk and assurance controls for online assessment are examined from initial evidence through exceptions, decision authority and continuing assurance.
In examining risk and assurance controls for online assessment, the materiality of the issue depends on its consequences for learners, responsible institutions and educational resources.
In examining risk and assurance controls for online assessment, its relevance to the applicable requirement should be assessed against the affected jurisdiction, learner population and form of provision.
In reviewing online assessment, delegating operational work does not transfer accountability for its effect on learners.
Application to risk and assurance controls for online assessment
Review of online assessment should address both system-level conditions and institutional practice. Assessment should provide valid and sufficiently consistent evidence that the stated learning outcomes have been achieved by the learner receiving the result.
In examining risk and assurance controls for online assessment, review of the control should follow a stated and reproducible method.
Failure in relation to the applicable expectation may arise even where the stated policy is reasonable. Material concerns include uncontrolled changes to assessment, reasonable adjustment altering the assessed outcome, results used beyond the evidence they support, and tasks that do not assess the stated outcome. Across the defined scope, materiality depends on the consequence and extent of an exception, not only on how often it appears in sampled records.
For online assessment, assurance of the matter should draw on more than one form of evidence. Useful records include moderation and exception records, analysis of results and differential outcomes, approval and change-control records, assessment maps to learning outcomes, and marking criteria and calibrated judgement.
Controls for risk and assurance controls for online assessment
Implementation of online assessment can be tested without imposing unnecessary reporting. The method for the applicable requirement is to map the complete process, identify the intended result and responsible authority at each stage, and test normal cases together with exceptions.
Interpretation of online assessment should produce a test that another competent reviewer can apply to comparable evidence.
The assurance record the control should retain the date of the evidence, the source responsible for it, the scope examined and the version of any instrument or definition applied. When examining online assessment, traceable source and version information allow genuine improvement to be distinguished from administrative revision.
Review of risk and assurance controls for online assessment
Care is required in drawing conclusions about online assessment. Across the defined scope, relevance, integrity and coverage are more important than the number of records produced.
In examining risk and assurance controls for online assessment, accountability for online assessment should follow decision-making authority.
In examining risk and assurance controls for online assessment, in the context of online assessment, progress should not be assessed by the amount of policy or documentation produced.