Download/View the observation and demonstration template (in Word format)

Watching or observing the learner demonstrate a practical task or doing a normal workplace activity. Evidence is normally recorded using a checklist or a log book or by using rating scales.

• Provides direct evidence of demonstrated performance
• Offers indirect evidence of knowledge / understanding
• Can focus on products and processes
• Can focus on total job, work sample or skill sample
• Can be used for workplace assessment (in the learners normal workplace) or assessment of practical work based tasks
• Can be done as part of normal work in the workplace
• Helps to set up the idea of "on going" assessment

• There may not be opportunities to demonstrate competence across a full range of tasks
• Time needs to be put aside for conducting workplace assessments
• Time consuming and expensive if conducted by external assessors
• Assessors / learner relationship needs to be clearly defined, especially in the workplace
• Quality and consistency of assessments needs to be checked
• Need to infer the ability to perform in other situations.

Checklists in performance assessments are especially useful as a way of making standard observations about a person's performance

Advantages:

• The standardised format of a checklist removes some of the subjectivity or haphazardness in judgements
• Can be used where a process has to be assessed and where skills can be divided into a series of steps
• Can be structured to assess the total job, a work sample or a skill sample
• The learner can be observed at critical points in the task; continuously, as they are working or on the final product / outcome.

Rating scales are useful for making standard observations about the quality of a learner's performance or a product.

Advantages:

• Useful where the quality of performance is being rated
• Descriptive statements along a scale can be used
• Nominal scores may accompany the descriptions and may be used for overall ratings
• Comparisons can be made between different assessor ratings if required

Issues:

• Constructing rating scales has some technical traps
• Adding rating scores to create an overall score can be unreliable and misleading

1. Descriptive rating

To what extent does the service station attendant address customer needs?

2. Number Ratings

Does the learner follow manufacturers' specifications when servicing brakes?

• Use oral questions to support the evidence gathered via observation of the learner's performance
• Record information on a checklist or write comments to help with the assessment decision
• Provide feedback to the learner on their performance
• Records may be completed after the assessment if recording information makes the learner uncomfortable
• 3 - 5 levels of description are sufficient when allocating rating scales

Download/View the observation and demonstration template