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Internal Verification (IV) Policy

1. OBJECTIVES:

  • To ensure that IV is valid, reliable and covers all assessors and programme activity.
  • To ensure that the IV procedure is open, fair and free from bias.
  • To ensure that there is accurate and detailed recording of all IV decisions.

2. IV STAGES

In order to do this, the centre will:

Stage 1

  • Ensure that all centre assessment instruments are verified as fit for purpose.
  • LMS will be the main platform where the whole IV process will be initiated.
  • An automated process flow will be created in LMS to ensure that IV decisions are taken in a timely manner and with integrity.

Stage 2

  • Verify an appropriately structured 25% of sample of assessor work from all programmes, sites and teams, to ensure centre programmes conform to the standards and external verification requirements.
  • Plan a regular daily based internal verification schedule monitoring system, linked to courses conducted over any period of time.
  • Define, maintain, and support effective internal verification roles.
  • Ensure that identified staff will maintain secure records of all internal verification activity.
  • Brief and train staff of the requirements for current internal verification procedures.
  • Promote internal verification as a developmental process amongst all concerned staff members.
  • Provide standardized IV documentation.

Stage 3

  • Review the process and assessment instruments.
  • Use the outcome of internal verification to enhance future assessment practice.

3. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES DURING ASSESSMENT DECISIONS

3.1 Faculty/ Assessor

  • Once the students have submitted their assignment tasks through LMS, as per the laid down SOPs deliverable dates, the faculty/ assessor will assess the assignment briefs of all students and provide feedback as per laid down Westford SOPs on how to assess an assignment and provide feedback.
  • Once the assignment briefs have been checked by the respective assessor, he/ she will provide objective and comprehensive feedback to the concerned students. The feedback should include the strengths, weakness observed, as well as how to improve for future assessments.
  • He/ she will provide the feedback within a period of 5 days from the date of submitting of assignments by students, and upload it back on LMS.
  • The assessor will clearly mention whether each assessment criteria has been met or not met, at the end of his/ her feedback for every student. The cover sheet of the assignment will be filled in completely for the student, again explicitly mentioning whether the student has passed in each set criteria or not.
  • For specific L5 UK courses, the faculty/ assessor will follow the directions given for grade descriptors in the cover sheet and accordingly assess the students for Pass/ Merit/ Distinction or Fail grades. For UK L7 programmes following the QCF format, the student will be given a Pass or a Fail grade. For both levels, it is mandatory for the student to pass in each assessment criteria/grade descirptors to obtain an overall Pass grade.
  • For awarding bodies where marks/ grades are to be given, these will be awarded as per guidelines provided in the rubric. If a student overall passes with marks equal to or above the minimum pass marks, then the student is deemed to have cleared and passed in his/ her module. If a student achieves higher marks and corresponding grades, then these should be reflected in their grade sheets.
  • Every student will be given another one chance to re-submit his/ her assignment, if he/ she has not passed in certain questions, covering the assessment criteria of the module, or failed to achieve minimum desired pass marks. The Redo chance will be given as per the guidelines mentioned in the cover sheet as well as laid down in
    the SOPs.
  • Extension of datelines and extenuating circumstances details have been mentioned in the Westford SOPs of the Submission Policy.

3.2 Internal Verifier (IV)

  • There will be a distinct IV nominated to do the internal verification of the assessment decisions made by the assessor, and will fill up the Assessment Decision IV Form with his/ her comments and feedback.
  • The IV will take a sample of 25% of the assessments (to the nearest whole number for decimal figures) and scrutinize these for assessment decisions made by the assessor.
  • The IV will discuss the assessment decisions with the assessor and if any modifications are to be made, will get them done and endorse the same on his IV form, which will be uploaded on LMS.

Once all the IV assessment decision forms are uploaded on LMS, all the results will be released to the students through LMS.

3.3 Lead IV

  • The IV will release all assignments and upload all the IV Forms on LMS, which can be seen and reviewed by the Lead IV for his/ her comments.
  • Lead IV will sample 25% of the IV Assessment Decisions done by the Internal Verifier.
  • Any observations by the Lead IV will be conveyed to the IVs, as well as the Faculty/Assessors. 

3.4 Course Administrator

  • The Course Administrator will monitor the students’ assignments and the IV forms for records purpose for subsequent External Verification process.
  • He will maintain a spreadsheet on a monthly basis with the latest students’ grades/ marks updates for modules attempted by them.
  • He is also responsible for safe keeping of all students’ assignments on LMS.