POLICIES
Last updated: (30/05/2020)
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Changes to this Privacy Policy
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iVerification Academy Management
Information Officer: W. van der Westhuizen eMail: wessie@iverificationacademy.co.za
Date of Policy: May 2020 Review: May 2020
Policy Assessment Guidelines
iVerification Academy states that assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning process.
Students and facilitators have to come to a clear understanding in terms of reasons for assessing:
- why assessment is an essential part of teaching and learning
- what is being assessed as well as the criteria for success and methods by which assessment is made
Students and facilitators are actively involved in the assessment of the students ‘progress.
iVerification Academy uses various forms of on-line assessment tools:
- Assignments
- Tasks
- Assessments
- Flipgrid Assessments
- Interactive videos
- Others
Instructional practice is guided by the following principles of assessment:
Assessment is central to planning, teaching and learning.
- Assessment practices and strategies are made clear to everyone concerned with assessment, including students, facilitators and administrators.
- Students and facilitators are actively engaged in the process of assessment in order to develop their wider critical thinking and self-assessment skills.
- Assessment is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum.
- Students receive feedback as basis for continued learning.
- Data collected from the assessment is analyzed to provide information about teaching and learning, needs and successes of individual students and to possibly improve the teaching and learning process.
- There is a balance between formative and summative assessment.
- The Student’s profile and the subject-specific teaching are addressed in the assessing process.
- Reflections from both students and facilitators are valued as a means of assessment and curriculum improvement.
- Prior knowledge and experience are assessed before the teaching of new modules/subjects.
- The assessment must meet the needs of students at every stage.
The Purpose of the Assessment – What and why do we assess?
Assessment aims to provide feedback on the learning process. The purpose of the assessment is to provide information on student learning, improve student learning and contribute to the efficacy of the learning programme. Assessment is an ongoing process of collecting evidence for and of learning.
Assessment practice – How do we assess?
Assessment of student growth is an important element of the curriculum, and helps to inform continued development, learning and teaching. Differentiation in assessing provides a complete, valid, reliable and fair picture of a student’s abilities.
- Diagnostic assessment– enables to access prior knowledge and experiences of students in relation to the particular topic or task. It provides an opportunity to refine the teaching and learning programme or meet individual or group’s needs.
- Formative assessment– aims to provide information useful for further planning of educational experiences. It helps both a teacher and a student to know what the students already know and what they are able to do.
- Self-assessment – is a process of the formative assessment. Self- assessment encourages students to reflect on the quality of their work, judge the degree to which it reflects explicitly stated goals or criteria, and revise accordingly.
- Summative assessment– occurs at the end of the teaching and learning process at each stage. It provides students with an opportunity to present what they learnt.
Assessment strategies and tools help construct the base of a comprehensive approach to assessment and reveal how we know what we have learned. Facilitators use a variety of assessment strategies at iVerification Academy. Strategies are the approaches in which the facilitators use during the process of collecting information about a student’s knowledge and understanding. Those strategies include, but are not limited to the following:
- Monitoring – all students are monitored on the LMS often and regularly and corrective measures will be taken when needed.
- Performance assessment– The assessment of goal-directed tasks with established criteria. They provide authentic and significant challenges and problems. In these tasks, there are numerous approaches to the problem and rarely only one correct response. They are usually multimodal and require the use of many skills. Audio, video and narrative records are often useful for this kind of assessment.
- Selected responses– Single occasion, one-dimensional exercises. Tests and quizzes are the most familiar examples of this form of assessment.
- Open-ended tasks– Situations in which students are presented with a stimulus and asked to communicate an original response. The answer might be a brief written answer, a drawing, a diagram or a solution. The work, with the assessment criteria attached, could be included in a portfolio.
Facilitators also use a variety of assessment tools to record student progress including:
- Rubrics– an established set of criteria that includes scaled levels of achievement or dimensions of quality for a given type of performance, for example, an assignment, an oral presentation, or use of team works skills. Rubrics can be developed by students or facilitators. The set or criteria enables an assessor to know what characteristics or signs to look for in students’ works.
- Exemplars– an authentic piece of students’ work, annotated to illustrate learning, achievement and quality in relation to the levels of curriculum. Generally, there is one benchmark for each achievement level in a scoring rubric. Facilitators are encouraged to set benchmarks that are appropriate and usable.
- A Checklist– an assessment tool that states specific criteria and allow facilitators and students to know and to reflect on what students know and can do in relation to the outcomes. The checklist is a systematic way of collecting data about students’ behaviour (specific), knowledge and skills.
- Anecdotal notes/records– brief notes based on observation of individual student’s behaviour, skills and attitudes in relation to the learning outcomes. Such notes provide facilitators with cumulative information on a student’s learning and direction to further instruction. These records are systematically compiled and organized.
- Continuums– visual representations of the development stages of learning. They characterize a student’s progression or performance at a given level.
Recording – How do we collect and analyse the data?
Documentation – The documentation of the evidence of student learning is relevant to all students. The facilitator uses a range of methods to document student learning as a means of assessing student understanding. Those methods include videos, audio, photographs, graphic representations, written records of student conversation, comments and explanations.
One of the most frequently used methods is students’ portfolios.
Portfolios – Portfolios of students are kept on the Learning Management System (LMS) and contain samples of student’s work and show growth over time. The portfolio is used to show the development of student’s knowledge, skills, attitudes and attributes of a student’s profile. It enables students to reflect with facilitators in order to identify strength, areas of improvement and then to set individual goals and establish further teaching and learning plans. Each portfolio entry is done with reference to its specific learning objectives and goals.
Reporting – How do we choose to communicate information?
Reporting on assessment is communicating about a students’ knowledge, abilities and understanding of the curriculum. Also, the assessment helps facilitators and students to know and identify places for growth that leads to the effective teaching practices. Feedback on assessment enables facilitators to evaluate the effectiveness and use of what was taught and helps to improve teaching in general.
Reporting at iVerification Academy involves a student and facilitators. It is very important that reporting would be based on iVerification Academy values.
Reporting is clear, comprehensive, honest, fair, credible and understandable to all parties. What is more, reporting includes feedback on a student’s development according to the attributes of the student’s profile.
Assessment
Students will complete the following assessments:
- Diagnostic assessment (beginning of programme)
- Assignments and assessments as per the different modules
- Classroom – Formative assessment
- Summative report writing
- Summative examination
Please note that the Diagnostic assessment needs to be completed before students will have access to any of the modules.
All the assignments, assessments and attendance of the classroom are compulsory.
The assignments and assessments must be completed in order for a student to attend the Classroom session. The cut-off dates for the completion of the assignments and assessments will be communicated.
Plagiarism
Students may work together when preparing for the assignments. Each student must however write and submit his or her own assignment. It is unacceptable for students to submit identical assignments on the basis that they worked together. That will amount to plagiarism and none of these assignments will be marked.
i Verification Academy may also institute disciplinary proceedings against these students.
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and passing them off as your own. It is a form of theft that involves several dishonest academic activities.
Grading and evaluation methods
i Verification Academy will be using the following grading and evaluation weight method:
The diagnostic assessment, self-study (including the assignments and assessments) and classroom attendance contribute to the year mark and 60% to the final mark. The report writing and summative examination will add to the rest of the 40%.
Submission of assignments
Assignments submitted electronically must be submitted in pdf format – NO other format will be accepted. Assignments must also be submitted without any security limitation under the “protect document” option, as these limitations make electronic marking impossible. Assignments submitted with these limitations will simply be cancelled and returned to students. This may result in a zero mark being awarded for that particular assignment if resubmission of the assignment occurs after the stated due date. Since no extension will be granted for the submission of assignments, this may have dire consequences for the year mark.
Examination
In order to qualify for the examination students must attend the classroom session.
The summative examination consists of two portions:
- Summative report writing (three reports)
- Summative examination
In the summative examination, you will get:
- Theoretical questions (where you will be required to demonstrate your knowledge of the study content),
- Application questions (to assess your understanding of and ability to use this knowledge in practice).
Summative questions include the following levels of complexity:
- Knowledge
- Comprehension
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Evaluation
Apart from such formal assessment during the examination, you, as a student learning through online education, have to constantly evaluate your own progress on the basis of the requirements of each module.
Summative examination and the completion dates of the report writing will be communicated in a next tutorial letter.
iVerification Academy Management
iVerification Academy Teaching and Learning Policy
Date of Policy: May 2020 Review: May 2020
Rationale
iVerification Academy was established to develop training material and train validators/verifiers and investigators in order to ensure skills transfer to a younger generation. SCIVS and the insurance industry require validators/verifiers to be able to handle any type of claim (Motor and Non-motor, Fire and Water damage claims, Health claims, etc) all of which are complex in nature and are investigated or assessed differently. Our research has shown that many of the insurance industry’s skill and expertise disappear when experienced validators and verifiers resign/retire and very little skills transfer actually takes place. Many of the older generation validators and verifiers are actually in their own right Subject–Matter-Experts (SME’s).
Aims
We aim to:
- provide consistency of teaching and learning across every year group and class
- enable facilitators and support staff to teach as effectively as possible
- value and respect all cultures
- provide a safe and happy learning environment
- raise levels of achievement for all students, enabling them to achieve their personal best
- learn from each other, through the adoption of a collaborative, enquiry based approach to teaching and learning, where good practice is shared;
- operate a “no shouting” policy.
This policy outlines some of the key elements which are crucial to raising standards in teaching and learning. It also sets out a broad structure for lessons, based on the best practice and research linked to how we learn.
Key Elements and Principles of Effective Teaching and Learning
All programmes and qualifications include the following key elements to ensure high quality teaching and learning. New facilitators will receive training to ensure they fully understand these elements and to enable them to embed these strategies in their everyday practice. The key elements and principles are all underpinned by excellent AFL (Assessment for Learning). Both formative and summative assessments play a key role in AFL. AFL is the process of identifying what the student has or has not achieved in order to plan the next steps in teaching or learning. It involves using assessment in the classroom to raise a student’s achievement level and is based on the idea that students will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning, where they are in relation to the aim and how they can achieve the aim.
Purpose and outcomes
The purpose of the programme is to introduce students to the insurance industry and the specific business requirements for the verification/validation and assessment of insurance claims. Students will gain the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to identify, analyse and solve problems relating to the verification/validation and assessment of claims.
The main outcomes of the programme are to assist you to:
- Evaluate the instruction to verify/validate/assess an insurance claim
- Demonstrate a well-rounded knowledge base for the verification/validation and assessment of insurance claims
- Exhibit an understanding of the theoretical learning material
- Application of the theoretical learning material during the verification/validation and assessment of insurance claims
- Produce comprehensive reports based on the objective facts found during the verification process that can be defended in a court of law
Flow for the modules
- Learning material
- Videos and links – contents will provide background to the respective modules and topics
- Self-assessment or assignments
- Flipgrid videos
- Quiz, Forums etc.
- Webex / Zoom meetings
- Feedback
What is Flipgrid?
Flipgrid is the leading video discussion platform for millions of students around the world. Flipgrid promotes fun and social learning by giving every educator an equal and amplified voice on the topics you define!
Feedback and Effective Grading is embedded in every module assessment and is used to inform teaching and learning. Students benefit from opportunities from formal feedback and forums. Feedback enables students to understand their strengths and weaknesses demonstrated in their work. Grading or oral feedback explains what the next steps should be and if effective, students will make excellent achievements by building on previous learning.
Giving feedback involves
- Oral – making time to talk to students and teaching them to be reflective about the learning objective and about their work and responses.
- Self/Peer-marking – students will be encouraged to see for themselves what they need to do to improve and discuss it with an adult/partner or work it out independently.
- All pupils are clear about how they need to improve.
Grading is linked to the learning objective, reflects learning expectations and identifies, next step prompts and/or challenges to develop student’s thinking further. Pupils are given regular time to address developmental areas raised in marking.
The Learning Management System (LMS) caters for an activity called “Forum”. The forum activity module enables participants to have asynchronous discussions i.e. discussions that take place over an extended period of time. There are several forum types to choose from, such as a standard forum where anyone can start a new discussion at any time; a forum where each student can post exactly one discussion; or a question and answer forum where students must first post before being able to view other students’ posts. A facilitator can allow files to be attached to forum posts. Attached images are displayed in the forum post. Participants can subscribe to a forum to receive notifications of new forum posts. A facilitator can set the subscription mode to optional, forced or auto, or prevent subscription completely. If required, students can be blocked from posting more than a given number of posts in a given time period; this can prevent individuals from dominating discussions. Forum posts can be rated by facilitators or students (peer evaluation). Ratings can be aggregated to form a final grade which is recorded in the gradebook.
Forums have many uses, such as
- A social space for students to get to know each other
- For course announcements (using a news forum with forced subscription)
- For discussing course content or reading materials
- For continuing online an issue raised previously in a face-to-face session
- For facilitator-only discussions (using a hidden forum)
- A help centre where facilitators and students can give advice
- A one-on-one support area for private student-facilitator communications (using a forum with separate groups and with one student per group)
- For extension activities, for example ‘brain teasers’ for students to ponder and suggest solutions to
See link – https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Forum_activity
Using effective questioning
It means challenging students to deepen their thinking. Facilitators take time to plan effective questions which go beyond straight recall with strategies such as:
- Giving a range of answers for discussion.
- Turning the question into a statement.
- Finding opposites, why does one work/one doesn’t?
- Giving the answer and asking how it was arrived at.
- Asking the question from an opposing standing.
- Using questions to find out what students know, understand and can do in order to target teaching more effectively.
- Analyzing students responses in order to find out what they know, understand and can do.
- Using student’s questions to assess understanding.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Triggering the brain: the brain will tend to notice things if it has been primed to look for them. For example, you could begin a lesson by saying: ‘Today when I am reading, I want you to listen out for some really powerful adjectives that you can use in your own writing later on’ or ‘For homework tonight, I am going to be asking you to write down the functions of the different parts of a plant – you will find out what they are in today’s lesson’, etc.
Flipped Classroom
Enterprise standard
iVerification Academy developed our own enterprise standard utilizing our skill and experience obtained through our service in the SA Police Service, Specialist Investigation Unit (SIU – Mutual and Federal Insurance) and other Insurance Investigative Units (CVU, LVD, etc.). Keep in mind that the Insurance Industry requires a certain level of checks and specific validation of facts and findings which our Programme caters for.
Practical skills have a huge impact on the outcome of the claims validated or verified and therefore made this a central aspect of our online programme. Students need to know how to apply the knowledge gained in a practical work environment to successfully validate or verify a more complex claim.
Online programme
The duration of the programme is expected to be five months including a three day Classroom attendance. Maximum of 25 students are allowed per classroom.
Our online programme (Flipped Classroom model) will consist of the following activities
- Registration for the programme
- Diagnostic assessment to determine the current knowledge level
- Self-study with various activities including self-assessment/videos/internet search, etc.
- Attendance of classroom training with practical activities including formative assessments
- Report writing based on a scenario
- Summative assessment
- Students receive a Certificate on completion
What is a flipped classroom model?
iVerification Academy adopted the flipped classroom model which is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions.
Flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom environment. In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage with new concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor.
The classroom activities consist of the following:
- Navigation of websites – NAV
- Handouts – HO
- Scenario-based incidents – SB
- Explanations – EXP
- Demonstrations – DEM
- External presentations – EXT
- Group Discussions – GD
- Feedback and Discussions (Tasks in Modules – required to do at home and bring back to classroom – divide class in groups) – FandD
- Practical Discussions (by facilitator) – PD
- Legal Opinion – Discussion – LO
- Role-play – RP
- Forensic findings – Discussion – FOR
- Video Discussions – VID
Dates for the classroom sessions will be communicated in a separate tutorial letter.
Please note that you will be provisionally registered for the classroom session provided that the self-study assignments and assessments have been concluded. If not concluded you will be earmarked for the next available classroom session or until such time the requirements have been met.
Learning Processes
Students learn in different ways and at different rates of progress. In the course of learning students develop their skills through a variety of processes. These may include the following –
- Investigation
- Experimentation
- Listening
- Observation
- Set groups
- Co-operative learning
- Talking, discussion, group work
- Asking questions
- Practical exploration and role play
- Research and discovery
- Debates and presentations
- Imagining
- Repetition
- Problem-solving
- Making choices and decision- making
Record-keeping and Assessment: regular summative and formative assessments establish the level of student’s attainment and track their progress. These assessments are used to inform future planning. Record-keeping and assessment procedures are defined in the Assessment Policy. Assessments are recorded in the Learning Management System (LMS in Moodle).
Monitoring and evaluation
- Student’s written work is monitored against the Grading setup. Feedback to facilitators and targets are set
- Performance management team leaders observe all facilitators /support staff as part of the PM process.
- Subject leaders observe teaching to identify strengths and areas for development in their subject.
- Demonstration lessons are arranged where appropriate.
Blooms Taxonomy Questions
Knowledge What happened after…? How many…? Who was it that…? Can you name the…? Describe what happened at…? Who spoke to…? Can you tell why…? Find the meaning of…? What is…? Which is true or false…?
Comprehension Can you write in your own words…?; Can you write a brief outline…? What do you think could have happened next…?; Who do you think…? What was the main idea…?; Who was the key character…? Can you distinguish between…?; What differences exist between…? Can you provide an example of what you mean…?; Can you provide a definition for…?
Application Do you know another instance where…?; Could this have happened in…? Can you group by characteristics such as…?; What factors would you change if…? Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own…? What questions would you ask of…?; From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about…?; Would this information be useful if you had a …?
Analysis Which events could have happened…?; If … happened, what might the ending have been? How was this similar to…?; What was the underlying theme of…? What do you see as other possible outcomes?; Why did … changes occur? Can you compare you’re … with that presented in…? Can you explain what must have happened when…? How is … similar to…?; What are some of the problems of…? Can you distinguish between…?; What were some of the motives behind…? What was the turning point in the game?; What was the problem with…?
Synthesis Can you design a … to…?; Why not compose a song about…? Can you see a possible solution to…?; If you had access to all resources how would you deal with…?; Why don’t you devise your own way to deal with…? What would happen if…?; How many ways can you…? Can you create new and unusual uses for…? Can you develop a proposal which would.. Can you write a new recipe for a tasty dish?
Evaluation Is there a better solution to…?; Judge the value of…; Can you defend your position about…? Do you think … is a good or a bad thing?; How would you have handled…? What changes to … would you recommend?; Do you believe?; Are you a … person? How would you feel if…?; How effective are…?; What do you think about…?
iVerification Academy Management
(Date this policy was last reviewed: May 2020)
NOTE: The disciplinary policy will be reviewed and updated before the start of next year.
BACKGROUND
Excellent discipline helps create the sort of environment where facilitators and students can flourish. A disciplined culture needs to be maintained in the academy leadership team, amongst staff members and amongst students. The academy must be known for its disciplined culture that should immediately strike students so that they desire to work hard to be part of it.
It is recognised that, despite the academy’s positive ethos, offences and misconduct will still occur. Therefore, disciplinary procedures need to be clear and organised so that students know that misconduct has consequences. A clear, organised disciplinary policy also empowers staff members and facilitators to act against misconduct that they observe.
This policy is subject to regular, permanent updates. The academy will not be held to a former version of the disciplinary policy when updates occur. It should also be noted that this policy is merely a guideline and may be departed from, if appropriate, at the discretion of the head of academy.
If appropriate, the academy has the right to act against students who are guilty of misconduct, even if the misconduct does not take place on the academy grounds or the student did not represent the academy when the incident occurred.
VALUES AND ETHOS
The culture of discipline is rooted in the academy’s values and ethos. Students should be recognised as individuals with unique abilities and be treated in a positive manner. However, a values-based education should not be void of consequences for transgressions. The disciplinary system should allow for the positive values to be emphasized while transgressions are met with the necessary consequences.
RECORD-KEEPING
Good record-keeping is essential to an effective disciplinary system. Staff members are expected to use the academy’s chosen method of record-keeping to record student transgressions so that patterns of behaviour can be monitored.
STAFF COMPETENCE
Staff should be competent and equipped to deal with transgressions and impose consequences for minor offences without referring matters to other members of staff. Staff should also be competent in preventing transgressions through the excellent level of teaching that they offer in the classroom. This “positive discipline” approach is expected of all staff – highly engaging lessons prevent, to a degree, student transgressions.
CATEGORISING OFFENCES
While each transgression may be treated according to merit, transgressions are loosely grouped into three categories: Minor, Serious and Very Serious. Members of staff are to use their sound judgement to interpret the categories and guidelines below.
MINOR OFFENCES
Minor offences typically do not warrant referring the matter to the Facilitator or the Head of Academy. These offences still need to be documented by members of staff as the repetition of a minor offence may constitute a serious offence.
Consequences for minor offences must include:
- Brief conversation or corrective comment
- Documentation of misconduct
Consequences for minor offences may include:
- Warning
Minor offences include, but are not limited to:
Classroom offences like talking inappropriately or disruption
- Offensive use of language
- Use of mobile phone when its use is prohibited
- Dishonesty (including plagiarism)
- Any other conduct deemed by a staff member to be a minor offence
SERIOUS OFFENCES
Serious offences need to be documented and reported to the Head of Academy.
Consequences for serious offences must include:
- Documentation of offence
- Referral to Head of Academy
- Verbal warning
- Supportive conversation with student
Consequences for serious misconduct may include:
- Written warning
These offences include, but are not limited to:
- Repetition of minor offences after warnings
- Deliberate, malicious dishonesty
- Extremely disruptive behaviour
- Improper conduct, threats or aggression towards a member of staff
- Aggression or threats towards fellow students
- Viewing pornography
- Racist comments
- Bullying – physical or emotional
- Social media misconduct
- Bringing the academy into public disrepute
VERY SERIOUS OFFENCES
Very serious offences place a student at risk of expulsion or suspension. The Head of Aacademy needs to lead the way in dealing with these offences.
Consequences for very serious offences must include:
- Informing Head of Academy
- Disciplinary hearing
- Supportive conversation with student
Consequences for very serious offences may include:
- Written warning
- Suspension
- Expulsion (student fees will not be refunded)
- Any consequence as listed under serious offences or minor offences
- Any other consequence that the disciplinary committee sees fits
Very serious offences include, but are not limited to:
- Repetition of serious offences
- Possessing, using or distributing drugs or alcohol
- Possessing, using or distributing a dangerous weapon
- Serious social media misconduct
- Any unlawful or criminal conduct
VERBAL WARNINGS
Verbal warning should include:
- A statement that a verbal warning is given
- A clear consequence for repetition of the misconduct
WRITTEN WARNINGS
Written warnings are considered the final level of disciplinary intervention before a disciplinary hearing may be called. The written warning should be clear in the consequences that it links to specified behaviour. All written warnings need to be signed by the Head of Academy.
DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS
Disciplinary hearings may result in suspension or expulsion. These hearings are reserved for very serious offences.
The possibility of suspension or expulsion needs to be mentioned in the letter to the student.
Parties present at these meetings must include:
- Student(s) involved in the incident
- Head of Academy
- Facilitator
- Another member of the academy’s senior management team
No legal representation for students is allowed. No verbal transcript of the meeting will be kept, but minutes of the hearing has to be issued by the chairperson.
In the case of a suspension or expulsion the student fees will not be refunded.
iVerification Academy Management
Student complaints and Appeals Procedure
Assessment Appeals Procedure
Date of Policy: May 2020 Review: May 2020
As a Student at iVerification Academy you have the right to appeal against an assessment decision made by your facilitator, if you feel the assessment was not carried out properly.
Student may appeal on a variety of grounds, such as: –
- The conduct of the assessment
- The adequacy of the evidence shown when set against the national standards and evidence requirements
- The adequacy of the opportunities offered in order to demonstrate competence fully
The outcomes of the appeal may be: –
- Confirmation of the original decision
- Institutions that the competence be re-assessed by the same or a different facilitator
- That the evidence was an adequate demonstration of competence and a recommendation that the assessment decision be reconsidered
Making an appeal
- Where the student disagrees with the assessment outcome you will be required to inform the Lead Internal Quality Assurer.
- The student must complete and submit the attached appeal form within twenty working days of the assessment decision, this must be sent to the iVerification Academy’s Internal Quality Assurer. This will be published on your notice board.
What happens next?
- The Internal Quality Assurer will set an agreed date for the appeal to be considered by the appeal’s panel. The panel will consist of the Internal Quality Assurer, a facilitator from the iVerification Academy and an independent facilitator, (no-one involved in the original assessment will be on the panel).
- The Internal Quality Assurer will acknowledge receipt of the appeal form, in writing or email. The External Quality Assurer will also be informed that an appeal has been lodged and be given details of how it will be heard and the composition of the appeals panel.
- The Internal Quality Assurer will attempt to find a solution with the candidate and the facilitator, e.g. through another assessment or re-consideration of the evidence.
- The appeal’s panel will meet to consider the appeal within twenty working days of receiving the assessment complaint. The panel will consider the evidence and interview the candidate and facilitator separately; they will then inform the student, facilitator, IVerification Academy and External Quality Assurer of the outcome verbally and in writing, within seven working days.
- If the student is not satisfied with the result of the appeal or with its procedures being properly carried out, then the student can complain, firstly to the IVerification Academy Director and if they are still dissatisfied, then directly to the awarding body and the Training Board.
- A malicious complaint which is deemed unreasonable or untrue having been made to abuse the procedure or an attempt to deform the name of character of another person, in these cases the academy reserves the right to terminate investigation of the complaint.
All appeal records will be maintained and reviewed to ensure actions have been put in place to prevent re-occurrence of complaints.
See below
iVerification Academy
Student Assessment Appeal Form
In order to register a formal assessment appeal, please complete the form with as much detail as possible. Include who was involved, what occurred, times, dates and evidence. Please let us know what you think the academy failed to do and what you think needs to be done to resolve the issues.
Your details
Student Name: | Group: | Programme: | Unit title: | |||
Email: | Facilitator Name: | |||||
Telephone: | ||||||
Address:
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Preferred method of contact: Email Telephone Post | ||||||
Practical Observation: | Written Assessment: | Assignment: | Product Evidence: | Oral Questioning: | ||
Other please state: | ||||||
Details of appeal
Date of assessment: | ||
Please provide a summary of why you disagree with the assessment outcome below and attach any evidence you wish to be considered within this appeal | ||
Please send your completed form to : | ||
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All customer complaints appeals will be treated in the strictest of confidence, as private and confidential.
iVerification Academy
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
IVerification Academy welcomes the opportunity to resolve issues with any aspects of the training programmes offered and sees this as an integral part of its drive to meet the needs of all Students. Where a problem or difficulty cannot be informally resolved by team members the formal complaints procedure should be referred to.
When a Student is dissatisfied with the service that they have received whilst working towards their Programme or Qualification, there is a formal complaints procedure that can be followed.
This is not to be confused with the appeals procedure, which is for an appeal against an assessment decision made by a facilitator.
Formal complaints process
(1) Detail the issues in writing to the Facilitator Head of Training (complete the attached complaints appeal form)
(2) On receipt of the complaint you will receive acknowledgement of this within five working days
(3) A formal response will be completed within fifteen working days.
The Head of IVerification Academy will be informed of your issues to allow corrective and preventative actions to be taken.
Actions are then reviewed at regular management meetings to analyse the effectiveness of the actions taken and
decide whether further corrective measures are necessary.
The procedure and actions to be taken following the complaint
- A date will be set for where the complaint will be considered by an appeal’s panel. The panel will consist of a lead/manager of the area of complaint and a senior manager from the IVerification Academy (no-one involved in the original complaint will be on the panel).
- The senior manager acknowledges receipt of the appeal form, in writing.
- Attempt to find a solution with the student and the manager, e.g. consideration of the evidence.
- A malicious complaint which is deemed unreasonable or untrue having been made to abuse the procedure or an attempt to deform the name of character of another person, in these cases the academy reserves the right to terminate investigation of the complaint.
- Where a complaint relates to specific individuals the academy may seek permission to share such details with them. If permission is not given it may not be possible for the academy to fully investigate or resolve the complaint.
- The appeals panel meet to consider the appeal within fifteen working days of receiving this complaint. The panel will consider all evidence and may be required to interview the student; they will then inform the student, facilitator and iVerification Academy of the outcome verbally and in writing, within seven working days.
- Where the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal or with the procedure being properly carried out, they can then make this in writing to the iVerification Academy Director.
- All complaint records will be maintained and reviewed to ensure actions have been put in place to prevent reoccurrence of complaints
See below
iVerification Academy
Student Complaints Form
In order to register a formal complaint, please complete the form with as much detail as possible. Include who was involved, what occurred, times, dates and evidence. Please let us know what you think the academy failed to do and what you think needs to be done to resolve the issues.
Your details
Student Name: | Group: | Programme: |
Email: | Facilitator Name: | |
Telephone: | ||
Address:
| ||
Preferred method of contact: Email Telephone Post |
Details of complaint
Date of complaint: | ||
Please give a summary of the complaint below and attach any evidence you wish to be considered within this complaint | ||
Please send your completed form to: | ||
|
All customer complaints appeals will be treated in the strictest of confidence, as private and confidential.