Muka Tangata has been working with training providers in the Apiculture industry to achieve more consistent and appropriate assessment materials.

Muka Tangata post-moderated three providers who delivered Apiculture standards between April and June 2023. This was the first time these providers had been moderated by Muka Tangata on Apiculture standards. Moderation changes tutor and provider behaviours and supports ākonga (learner) achievement.  It provides industry, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Tertiary Education Commission with assurance that assessment is fair, valid and at the national standard.

Muka Tangata’s Quality Assurance and Enhancement team carried out hui whakapūmau (site visits) with each provider to discuss programme delivery and assessment with tutors, akōnga (learners) and provider staff.

A series of online professional development seminars for providers were also delivered by Muka Tangata to help support best-practice assessment and meet moderation requirements.

Muka Tangata moderated 24 samples from the three providers, with a concerningly low verification rate of 8% compared to the previous year’s 77% and the across-all-sector verification rate for the same period of 70%.  Verification is the process of confirming assessors are assessing to the national (industry) standard. It includes checking assessment materials and assessor judgements and marking.

The main reasons for the low verification rates were assessment materials not being pre-moderated and not collecting the requisite evidence, insufficient evidence submitted, and evidence of learner plagiarism.

The providers have each agreed with Muka Tangata on actions to help improve outcomes, including submission of materials for pre-moderation before they are used, training for assessors around sufficiency of evidence and, and professional development to address plagiarism

Muka Tangata will continue to engage with and support each provider to meet future moderation requirements.