MODERATION

Moderation is the process by which assessments are checked and verified. Moderation either validates assessment practices by providing assurance that they meet the national standard, or enables follow-up action to be taken to ensure assessment practices are modified so they do meet the national standard. Moderation also provides for ongoing development and improvement in assessment practice.

The Retail Institute's moderation system is designed to meet the needs of the retail and distribution industries and of the assessor groups involved.

It ensures that:

  • assessment is fair, valid and consistent
  • assessment meets the nationally prescribed standards
  • variances from the standard are detected and kept to an agreed and acceptable level
  • assessment systems, processes and judgements are moderated ‘best practice' in assessment (including integrated assessments) is based around a collection-of-evidence model.

Best practice moderation

Best practice moderation facilitates opportunities for:

  • validation of assessment design
  • validation of assessment decisions
  • professional discussion on assessment (so that it is an integral component of the teaching and learning process)
  • improvement in assessor performance and assessment processes
  • establishment of a national standard
  • identifying areas for improvement in the quality of unit standards
  • fostering effective partnerships between participants in the moderation system
  • ensuring compliance with internal and/or external quality assurance processes
  • guiding theevolution of the moderation system
  • ongoing professional development of all participants.

Moderation undertaken by the Retail Institute

The Retail Institute carries out the following moderation:

  • Pre and post-moderation on all external training provider materials for Retail Institute-managed unit standards (external moderation)
  • Pre-moderation of all Retail Institute assessment material before it is made available to training providers or assessors (internal moderation)
  • Post-moderation on material used by the Retail Institute registered assessors (internal moderation) or external training providers (external moderation)
  • Observed moderations of Retail Institute registered assessors (internal moderation)
  • Peer moderation carried out in workshops with Retail Institute registered assessors. (internal moderation)

NOTE: THE RETAIL INSTITUTE DOES NOT MODERATE TRAINING MATERIALS FOR ANY UNIT STANDARDS.

Internal moderation

Internal moderation refers to pre-moderation of the Retail Institute's assessment materials and post-moderation of the work carried out by registered assessors for the Retail Institute. It is designed to ensure consistency in standards between assessors.

External moderation

External moderation focuses on ensuring national consistency and verifying that assessments are carried out to the national standard. External moderation is concerned with assessments carried out by external providers who are using unit standards for which the Retail Institute is the standard-setting body (SSB)..

Providers include:

  • Private Training Establishments (PTEs)
  • Government Training Establishments (GTEs)
  • Wananga
  • Schools
  • Polytechnics
  • Colleges of Education
  • Universities
  • Industry Training Organisations (ITOs)

Providers using Retail Institute unit standards are required to engage with the moderation system as described in AMAP 0225.

If you are unsure what your moderation requirements, are please contact the Retail Institute.