Assessment Memo or Memorandum
This is the new monster on the block – we just don’t know who the daddy is.
RESEARCHED TERMS
We tried to research the topic. As of (date of research?) we found that none of these terms anywhere on the SAQA website or documentation, nor do they appear on any SETA website or documentation.
We cannot find any of these terms in the two official unit standards used by the ETDP SETA for OBE Programme Design, namely 123401 or 123394. We can’t find them on any of the ETDP SETA’s (The primary SETA of the Education Training and Development SETA) programme approval or evaluation documents.
This is of course the SETA that is responsible for the unit standard and the design of programmes. Never has this been requested or checked in the past during programme submission or previous verification.
Assessment Memo or Assessment Memorandum refers to a separate document needed during programme approval. When we checked the SETA’s requirements for programme approval or SETA verification, they only requested the following documents:
- a) Matrix/Programme application
- b) Learner Guide
- c) Workbook/Assessment Guide
- d) Assessment Guide and in some cases the
- e) Mentors Guide
Once again, there was no mention of the Assessment Memorandum again
We found a similar term on the unit standard 115755 used for “Assessment Design,” namely:
The guide includes all support material and/or references to support material, including observations sheets, checklists, possible or required sources of evidence and guidance on expected quality of evidence including exemplars, memoranda or rubrics as applicable.
I then went and looked the definitions of these two terms mentioned up. The first search result for memoranda read,
memoranda:noun, plural memorandums, memoranda. [mem-uh-ran-duh] /ˌmɛm əˈræn də/ ([reference to IPA]) a short note designating something to be remembered, especially something to be done or acted upon in the future; reminder. a record or written statement of something.
A note recording something for future use.
And also,
a written message in business or diplomacy.
As well as,
a document recording the terms of a contract or other legal details.
The other word pulled up these results –
rubrics:a heading on a document.
a set of instructions or rules.
CONCLUSION
We guess the Assessment Memo or Assessment Memorandum – terms that are not once used on any SETA or SAQA documents that relate to this process – must be this “memoranda or rubrics as applicable.”
This is a pity because there are no resources on the internet or any SETA reference that provide an explanation on this. It would eliminate a lot of confusion around this topic, especially for new Training Providers.
CREATING THE ASSESSMENT MEMO OR MEMORANDUM
Some argue that this could form part of the model answers of your Assessment Guide. But why, then, is it required as a separate document pack during verification? At any rate, this is how we would recommend creating the document going forward:
– Create a separate document calling it the Assessment Memo Cover Page that makes reference to your Unit Standard
details, and maybe give it a “confidential” watermark, footnote or disclaimer of some sort.
– Include model answers for each activity/assessment activity in this guide – we’re not recommending any particular
format. You may also want to include the following, depending on the topic or structure of your activities:
* Support material and/or references that were provided to the learner – which he/she can use as resources (we mean
resources and references that were given to the learner during the induction or facilitation).
* Observations sheets – these should be in the Assessment Guide already if used previously
* Checklists – to check if the learner’s response is complete or that all required activities were handed in.
* Possible or required sources of evidence – or of course your model answers, or guidelines on how learners were asked
or could answer the question.
* Expected quality of evidence – maybe include the amount of pages, size of response, number of words, how many
points will be allocated to this activity and so forth.
In the meantime, we hope that this helps, clears some confusion and possibly gives a direction forward.