Professional Discussion and the Mandatory Unit - the FAQs

• Can Professional Discussion just be used for the Mandatory Unit?
  
  No, Professional Discussion can be used for assessing any ITQ unit. It can be particularly valuable when used in conjunction with observation and examination of product evidence - the combination of the assessor looking at the candidate's work and the candidate talking about their work is a very powerful means of proving the candidate's competence. Professional Discussion is also a useful method of assessment for providing evidence relating to knowledge criteria.
  
• What is the difference between Professional Discussion and Questioning the Candidate?
  
  When an assessor is using questioning as a method of assessment the candidate is in a reactive role, responding to each question asked by the assessor. In a Professional Discussion, on the other hand, the candidate should be in a proactive role. In other words the candidate needs to take the lead for much of the conversation. However, it is still acceptable for an assessor to ask questions during a Professional Discussion, for example if the assessor needs the candidate to clarify something. Occasional questions and other prompts by the assessor are very useful during a Professional Discussion, particularly at lower ITQ levels and with less confident candidates.
• Does the assessor have to write down everything the candidate says?
  
  Definitely not. The standard way to keep a record of a Professional Discussion is through a sound recording. This can be done using a digital sound recorder or a cassette recorder. Digital sound recorders are now relatively inexpensive and are superior in every way to cassette recordings - not only is the sound quality far better but the recording is more secure as a sound file can be easily copied to a computer, CD, memory stick etc.  Hints and tips on digital sound recording.
  
  Professional Discussions can also be recorded as video using a digital video camera. This could be particularly useful if the professional discussion is combined with observation.  Hints and tips on digital video recording.
• What other methods of assessment are suitable for the Mandatory Unit?
  
  There can be no hard and fast rules about which methods of assessment to use for any particular unit. A lot depends on the context. But because the Mandatory Unit is based around the candidate explaining and reflecting on the use of IT to undertake particular tasks the following methods of assessment may be particularly suitable:
  - Personal statement
  - Observation
  - Examination of product evidence
  
  All three of these could be used in conjunction with Professional Discussion.
  
• How and when should the assessor give feedback after a Professional Discussion?
  
  This depends on the circumstances. The assessor may feel that it is appropriate to give immediate feedback, but if the professional discussion has been a long one then both assessor and candidate might feel that they need a break before the feedback. Also, the assessor may wish to listen to the recording and check what is said against the criteria before giving feedback, so a delay may be inevitable. If it is not possible to give face-to-face feedback then telephone or e-mail could be used, but a good assessor would probably wish to avoid giving negative feedback in writing as this could be de-motivating for the candidate.
  

Last modified: 16 Oct 2007