The Human Element in Moderation: A Journey from Process to Educational Ethic

Personal Prelude 

When I first started working in education, the term for ensuring consistent assessment was 'verification.' It felt precise, almost clinical. “Internal Verification” seemed positively unpleasant. Later, the terminology shifted to 'moderation’, a word that, for me, always carried a hint of something more nuanced, perhaps even something human. Yet, as I delved into the practicalities of the process, particularly in vocational education assessment, I often found myself looking for that 'human element' amidst the checklists and procedures. After all, nobody gets into education simply to fill in paperwork; we want to help and bring on the next generation.

However, despite being more comfortable with the name of the process, a vital question lingered for me: is moderation, however robust, just a process? All too often, moderation—despite its inherent good intentions—can get bogged down in a bureaucratic morass. When this happens, the paperwork and procedures (the means) inadvertently become the end themselves, losing sight of the genuine educational benefits. My argument, however, is that by actively focusing on the broader "educational good" that moderation serves, the very nature of this "box-ticking" process can itself be transformed, becoming an essential vehicle for positive change. It was this search, this personal reflection on the nature of our collective work, that led me to consider how moderation mirrors ideas of reflective practice – not just individual reflection, but a powerful form of group reflection. And from that, to broader philosophical concepts via Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, and the idea that moderation, particularly through its feedback loops, can truly be a route to 'the good' – becoming an educational ethic rather than merely an education management function. This active potential of moderation is crucial; when it degrades into a mere administrative exercise; it fails to grasp its own transformative power.

Introduction

This is not a ‘how to’ post. There are hundreds of those just a Google away. Instead, I want to begin by considering how moderation both diachronically and synchronically can improve standards. In a sense considering what moderation does (or can/could do) before progressing to consider what moderation is and why in order to capture the transformative power of moderation it has to break away from a closed managerial function. 

Moderation: The 3-Way Pivot for Continuous Improvement

Moderation, particularly on an unsuccessful individual candidate's performance, extends far beyond that individual. It serves as a 3-way pivot for continuous improvement, directing feedback and insights across three crucial types of standards: educational, performance; assessment. But beyond this three-way pivot within the standards principle, moderation also critically pivots to the foundational educational principles of validity, reliability and fairness, underscoring its role as a truly remarkable and vitally important procedure.

When moderation highlights common areas of weakness across multiple components of an assessment or specific deficiencies in an apprentice’s performance, this feedback is invaluable for the college. It can inform improvements in teaching methodologies, the curriculum’s emphasis on certain topics, and the overall instructional design. This continuous feedback loop is essential for maintaining and elevating educational standards over time. It is feedback now for improved performance tomorrow. By ensuring that the curriculum remains current, teaching methods are effective, and the emphasis placed on certain features of the course genuinely lead to the required levels of competence.

The direct feedback given to the apprentice about their unsuccessful performance, clearly articulated, becomes a vital part of their preparation for a resit or retake. It pinpoints exactly where they went wrong and what specific skills or knowledge need further development. But the feedback that moderation provides to improve educational standards can also provide a benefit when colleges provide remedial training for candidates prior to the retaking of the assessment. Effective moderation thus establishes what might be called a two-track feedback model which helps improve the performance standards associated with the assessment.

This notion of moderation providing different routes to improvement can also be found in the way that moderation can be utilised to improve assessment standards. Moderation inherently scrutinizes the assessment itself. If the moderation process reveals ambiguities in the assessment task, inconsistencies in marking guides, or issues with the clarity of instructions, this feedback directly improves the quality and fairness of future assessments. This ensures that the assessment accurately measures the intended learning outcomes.

Crucially, the internal verifier’s role in monitoring patterns of mistakes across different apprentices in the same assessment is key to prompting reflective actions regarding the educational and assessment standards. By reviewing these patterns, perhaps on a quarterly basis and reported in pre-arranged, standardized meetings/consortia, where assessors and college leaders can determine if an apprentice’s mistakes are truly individual or, more significantly, evidence of underlying weaknesses in the training provided or the assessment design itself. There will always be a requirement for full-scale reviews of the assessment and the assessment process but moderation provides continuous professional monitoring of the standards. This systematic analysis transforms individual assessment outcomes into valuable data for continuous improvement across the entire vocational programme. To borrow an electrical metaphor, moderation is the equivalent of ongoing maintenance in contrast to periodic inspections. 

Beyond Apprentice Performance: Moderating Assessor Performance

While the initial verification process focuses on the apprentice’s performance, a truly comprehensive moderation strategy must also consider assessor performance. This requires a sensitive and supportive approach, particularly given industrial relations considerations.

The best way to address assessor performance within moderation is through a collaborative decentralisation of the moderation process.

Assessors should regularly engage in peer review of each other’s judgments. This involves assessors critically examining each other’s marking and feedback against agreed standards. This collaborative approach fosters a shared understanding of criteria and helps to identify unconscious biases or inconsistencies in application without being punitive. It also, because no-one is perfect, induces a recognition of professional humility. Indeed, moderation is the antidote to perfectionism.

This, in turn, provides opportunities for the professional development of assessors. When patterns in assessor marking are identified, these become opportunities for targeted training, workshops, or one-on-one support, rather than criticism or disciplinary action. The goal is to enhance their understanding of assessment practices and standards.

Education Scotland emphasizes that "engaging in the moderation process with colleagues will assist you in arriving at valid and reliable decisions on learners' progress" and promotes a "shared understanding of standards and expectations" among practitioners across all sectors. This aligns with the collaborative and transparent principles of moderation.

Moderation meetings, especially those involving the internal verifier, should include calibrated discussions where assessors can collectively review samples of work and discuss their rationale for marks and feedback. This open dialogue helps to align individual interpretations with the shared understanding of standards.

Ultimately, what emerges from these best practices is that moderation is effectively professional group reflection. It's a structured and collaborative process where assessors, internal verifiers, and indeed the entire vocational education institution engage in a cycle of learning and improvement. Much like theories of reflective practice, moderation moves beyond simply "doing" assessment to actively "reflecting on" and "reflecting in" the practice of assessment itself. It allows educators to collectively scrutinize their judgements, challenge assumptions, identify systemic issues in training or assessment design, and continually refine their approach to ensure that every apprentice receives fair, consistent, and high-quality assessment.

Moderation as Ethic

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned how the change from verification to moderation suggested a clear Aristotelian ethic. Aristotle saw "the good" as the aim of all human activity, (our telos) achieved through virtuous practice and the pursuit of excellence. In this light, moderation in vocational education can be seen not merely as an administrative process, but as a route to "the good" in education itself. 

This pursuit of 'the good' finds a tangible parallel in industry standards. BS 7671 states that "good workmanship shall be used", (134.1.1). But it's not just worth considering what the Wiring Regulations state, but where they state it. The positioning in the very first part of the book underscores that "good" is a pervasive standard – a responsibility woven into the very fabric of electrical installation work. It is there because it is only by aiming at the good from the very beginning that we might ultimately hope to arrive there. 

The Regulation’s simple yet powerful directive applies not just to the apprentice or qualified electrician, but extends as a guiding principle to the assessor and the organization that the assessor belongs to. It underscores that pursuit of "the good" is fundamentally that which connects the various components of vocational education. Just as in electrical installation, so too is the pursuit of the good a responsibility woven into the very fabric of training, assessment, and educational professional practice. 

It's almost possible to regard moderation as the single most important process of the whole learning and assessing field. It is the process that ensures that the teaching, learning and assessing operate at their most effective. When moderation is practiced with integrity and a focus on continuous improvement, it cultivates:

 

• A Good Educational Standard: Ensuring that what is taught at college truly equips apprentices with the necessary knowledge and skills.
• A Good Assessment: Guaranteeing that assessments accurately and fairly measure competence, providing a clear pathway for learners to demonstrate their abilities.
• A Good Performance: Supporting apprentices to develop the practical skills and theoretical understanding required to excel in their chosen trade.

These elements all combine to produce "good electricians" who are not only technically proficient but also ethically grounded in their practice. In this sense, moderation, particularly through its two-track feedback mechanisms (direct from the assessor and systemic insights via the college), elevates itself beyond a management function to become a profound educational ethic – a commitment to excellence and the holistic development of competent, skilled, and responsible individuals in the workforce.

Sources & Further Reading:

Aristotle, tr.D. Ross, (2009) Nicomachean Ethics, Oxford, Oxford World's Classics, Oxford University Press 

BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, Requirements for Electrical Installations, IET Wiring Regulations Eighteenth Edition, (2022) IET, London

Image Credit

Aristotle, photographer Nick Thompson, Flickr, Uploaded on March 31, 2012, https://www.flickr.com/photos/pelegrino/6884873348, CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Unlearned Lesson of Untold Lessons

Untold Lessons (Tornare dal bosco literally Returning from the Woods. The US title is Dear Teacher)

by Maddalena Vaglio Tanet:

Hardback: September 12, 2024

Paperback: July 3, 2025

Pushkin Press

In the beginning it was the title. What exactly is an untold lesson? 

Synopsis: The novel opens with a striking premise: a teacher named Silvia disappears into the woods after the shocking news of a favourite student's death. As the mystery of her disappearance takes hold in her small Italian village, the narrative delves into Silvia's past, the speculative theories of the villagers, and the impact of her absence on the community. The story delves into the psyche of a teacher and how a tragic event related to a student impacts her, potentially offering insights into the emotional and psychological toll of the profession and the relationships formed within it.

Whose Untold Lesson?

The book sat for over a week in my bedside pile. The ambiguity of the title didn't just puzzle me, it got under my skin. It was like one of those itches that you just can't stop scratching at. Whose "untold lessons"? Were they intended for the characters to give or receive, or intended solely for the reader? And if the lesson goes untold, can it even be considered a lesson at all? who didn't tell it; who didn't learn it? All these questions, and I hadn't even reached the first page. When I finally started, I prepared myself for the big reveal. I read, and waited. And it didn't happen. Which of course makes absolute sense because it's untold. It was only afterwards that I learned how this lesson actually unfolds. It emerges gradually with nuance and subtlety through the reading experience and long after the final page. Untold Lessons is a profoundly haunting meditation on loss.

Echoes of the Unlearned 

The novel is inspired by the tragically real events that happened more than fifty years ago, originating from the author's own family history and community lore. Vaglio Tanet pieced the story together from scattered allusions, fragments, and then corroborated details by finding old newspaper articles, and although she hasn't publicly named the specific individuals or provided all the granular details of the true event (likely to maintain the privacy of those involved and allow for fictional interpretation), the core elements are derived from this historical incident. 

Vaglio Tanet has emphasized that she wasn't writing a journalistic account, but rather using these real fragments as a foundation to explore the novel's deeper themes of guilt and responsibility, compassion and self-acceptance, and community and the human psyche in the face of tragedy. It is perhaps for this reason that the novel deliberately avoids imagining the crucial moment of the student's death, focusing instead on the aftermath and its ripple effects. 

This basis is not merely historical fact. It has the effect of making the novel's story seem less like a telling than a retelling. It is as if the real event were the first occurrence, the fall, and the literary event, a repetition of that cataclysm. The fact that the author felt compelled to revisit and re-imagine an event from her own past, that perhaps the community (and humanity) has still not fully processed or learned from, lends significant weight to the idea that we are not so much dealing with an untold lesson so much as an unlearned lesson. 

We are often told in the face of tragedy that lessons have, or will be learned. It's often the first platitude out of a politician’s mouth. But if the logic of this interpretation holds true, it's only a matter of time for the lesson to happen again. The persistent lesson in the novel is that the untold all too easily becomes the unlearned. Is it really our collective fate to learn nothing?

Overcoming The Hidden Hurdle: Rising To The Challenge of Test Nerves in High-stakes Vocational Assessments

I was fortunate to be able to catch the young electrician apprentice who fainted in front of me.

Introduction

For many, a high-stakes examination is merely a hurdle. Personally, I thrive on the challenge; the intense preparation, the moment of tension upon opening the examination paper, the possibility of failure. But I recognize that not everyone feels the same as me. For an apprentice, particularly one from a lower socioeconomic background, that final, high-stakes, summative assessment isn't just an assessment; it's a gateway to a meaningful future, a hard-earned step out of precarity, and if getting the apprenticeship in the first place was the start of a journey into an industry with many different facets to it, the other side of that assessment is a giant leap on that journey.

Yet, a hidden hurdle often stands in their way: the debilitating grip of test nerves. This intense nervousness acts as a 'construct irrelevant variance' (CIV), somethinng that affects a candidate's mark other than the skills, knowledge or understanding that the assessment is intended to assess. From an educational perspective this disruptive force undermines the very point, the very foundation of the assessment. From a human perspective, this disruptive force unfairly distorts the candidate's true capabilities and threatens to derail their pursuit of what truly matters.

The "Meaningful Aim"

High stakes vocational assessments are public statements of confidence in the competence of candidates to become electricians. In Scotland, the high-stakes summative vocational assessment for electricians is FICA, the Final Integrated Competence Assessment. (A brief personal note: whilst I'm fortunate to be a FICA Assessor, this piece is written in a purely personal capacity to discuss the general nature of such assessments. It's not my workplace or FICA specifically that's under discussion).

After four or five years of on-the-job training and college work, the apprentice's performance at FICA determines whether they are ready to become a fully qualified electrician. This single assessment carries immense weight, influencing career prospects, earning potential, and overall life trajectory. It is, in essence, a rite of passage marking a significant transition, which, in the language of the 1980’s when I became an electrician, marks the transition from boy to (journey) man.

Jordan Peterson's philosophy often centres on the idea that individuals find meaning and purpose by voluntarily confronting the chaos and challenges inherent in life, taking on responsibility, and striving towards a higher aim. For an apprentice in Scotland pursuing an electrical installation qualification, the journey itself—the years of rigorous training, the mastery of complex technical skills, and the dedication to a demanding craft—is a clear embodiment of "pursuing what matters”. Becoming an electrician, a competent and valued member of society. Someone who solves people's problems and who can make people's lives easier or better, is a concrete meaningful aim; a step out of the chaos (unemployment, financial insecurity) and into a structured responsible role within their trade and society. This pursuit, laden with profound personal, familial and social responsibility can, not unsurprisingly, amplify the emotional response associated with taking any test. More precisely, the fear of failing and falling down the social hierarchy can provoke overwhelming nervousness that interferes with cognitive function and performance.

Confronting Internal Chaos (Nervousness as CIV)

Peterson emphasizes that growth and meaning emerge from confronting the unknown and the chaotic, both externally and internally. Debilitating test nervousness represents a significant internal chaos. It's a psychological "dragon" that, if left unaddressed, can undermine all the diligent preparation and genuine competence an apprentice has accumulated. This nervousness is a CIV because it introduces variability into the test score that is irrelevant to the apprentice's actual electrical knowledge and skill. It's the internal chaos preventing the effective pursuit of the meaningful aim.

In my experience, nervousness as CIV manifests itself in distinct cognitive and physiological ways. Cognitively, this ranges from difficulties focusing on reading guidance material or recalling learned information. It's not because they haven't gained semantic and episodic knowledge but because they simply can't access the learned material because of exam stress. Physiologically, the hands of some candidates sweat and shake so much that it's almost impossible for them to place the probe onto the connection. In order to guide the probe onto the terminal they put themselves in danger by putting their fingers beyond the insulated barriers.

For those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, this pressure can be particularly acute. They may face additional nervousness stemming from:

The Paradox of Resources: Whilst some apprentices from more affluent backgrounds might have access to private tutoring, extensive study materials, the vast majority of apprentices that I encounter don't obviously come from the more affluent end of the income scale. Those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may lack these advantages, and may not come from a supportive home environment conducive to learning. This can lead to increased anxiety about being under-prepared. However, a supportive home environment conducive to learning can cut both ways, especially if the apprentice is the child of an electrician who happens to also be their employer - the pressure for approval becomes both professional and deeply personal. 

Fear of Failure and Limited Opportunities & The Burden of Responsibility: The consequences of failing a high-stakes vocational exam can be more profound for apprentices with fewer safety nets. The financial implications and the potential impact on their ability to secure stable employment can fuel intense nervousness. This heightened sense of responsibility, while a core tenet of Peterson's philosophy for a well-lived life, can paradoxically amplify test anxiety. The fear of failing not just themselves, but also those who depend on them, can trigger overwhelming nervousness that interferes with cognitive function and performance.

Stereotype Threat: In Scotland's education system, there is often a subtle yet pervasive bias that regards the trades as a fallback for those “not good enough” for university.  The clear signal that Scottish education system sends is that the skills required to get you to university are of more value than the skills that get you an apprenticeship. Richard Reeves, in his book Of Boys and Men argues for a massive investment in male-friendly vocational education and training noting that doing more for boys and men does not require an abandonment of gender equality. The vast majority of young apprentice electricians in Scotland are white, working-class males. So in addition to overcoming the educational stigma of their chosen goal,  they now have the added burden of their race, class, and gender to bear. In the circumstances it seems reasonable to wonder if the people who erected these hurdles are capable of dismantling them. Success in a high stakes vocational assessment might prove the stereotypical clichés wrong. But the terrifying inverse is that failure might just confirm all those negative biases about their abilities. ‘What if “they” were right all along?’ This added pressure can further hinder their performance.

The Impact on Performance and Validity

Consider the practical aspects of a high-stakes summative assessment in electrical installation. An apprentice must possess a deep understanding of wiring circuits, safety regulations, and fault diagnosis—the very 'order' that they have painstakingly learned to impose on complex systems. Yet, under this immense pressures the internal dragon of chaos prevents the effective manifestation of their hard-won order in the world. Research consistently shows a negative correlation between test nerves and performance, meaning highly skilled apprentices can under-perform simply because these nerves prevent them from accurately demonstrating their abilities. This isn't just a problem for the apprentice; it is, at this exact same moment, a fundamental problem for the assessment itself. The assessment is no longer doing what it's designed to do. It's no longer accurately determining if an apprentice is ready to become an electrician. It's at this point that the CIV doesn't just undermine the candidate's performance but also undermines the validity of the assessment, not merely its content. This critical flaw leads some progressive educationalists to argue for the abolition of high-stakes assessment altogether based on a seemingly logical rationale: ‘No assessment = no nerves = no problem’. This simplistic solution overlooks the vital function these assessments serve in ensuring public confidence and professional competence. However, a failure to recognize the significance of this threat to the assessment's validity won't make the simplistic solution go away.

The Call to Order

The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll be.

Jordan Peterson advocates for bringing order to chaos. For the apprentice, this means not only mastering the technical ‘order’ of electrical systems but also imposing order on their internal state. Strategies to mitigate test nervousness—such as thorough preparation, stress management techniques, and familiarization with the assessment format—are, in essence, acts of bringing order to that internal chaos. They are practical steps in the voluntary confrontation of a personal limitation that threatens their meaningful pursuit. Educational institutions clearly have a practical and ethical role to play in mitigating the impact of nervousness as a CIV. What they shouldn't do is overcompensate by teaching to the test. Apprentices have to learn to take responsibility for their learning, their decisions and their actions. Transforming them into test-passing robots serves only one person: you. It flatters your educational vanity, and it compensates for your own feelings of inadequacy by inadequately preparing the apprentice for the challenge. 

Institutions can:

Enhance Preparation and Familiarity. Provide detailed and aligned instructional materials, realistic practice tests, and incorporate low-stakes formative assessments to build-up the apprentice's confidence. They could help too by not providing false information about the assessment. 

Emphasize Mastery and Growth: Focus on demonstrating a mastery of skills and knowledge. By pursuing quality workmanship, and not tolerating a “just get the job done" attitude, apprentices can become more than electricians, they can become good electricians who can subsequently rise into the management sphere with the acknowledged respect of their peers.

Provide Constructive Feedback and Support: Implement infrastructure to provide detailed feedback and opportunities for improvement, thus fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Teach Genuine Coping Strategies: Breathing correctly, for example, helps you control your nervous system function. James Nestor advocates a simple solution of breathing slower, inhaling and exhaling through the nose rather than the mouth. The rhythm matters too. If you inhale, through your nose for three, and back out through your nose for a count of twelve you will feel your heart rate slowly go down. This is not the same thing as medicalizing students.

By implementing these practical strategies, vocational education institutions can create a more supportive and less nervousness-provoking assessment environment. By doing so they will have played their role in removing the CIV that impedes an apprentice's ability to demonstrate their true mastery, and thereby empowered the apprentice to more effectively pursue the meaningful aim of a skilled and stable career.

Conclusion

The pervasive influence of nervousness in high-stakes vocational assessments represents a critical challenge. This intense experience acts as a significant barrier that can unfairly impact their performance and future. By recognizing this nervousness as a profound source of CIV, and implementing practical strategies to mitigate its effects, vocational institutions can ensure fairer and more accurate evaluations, empowering all apprentices to demonstrate their true potential and build successful careers. Addressing this hidden hurdle is not just about improving test scores; it's about creating an environment that serves the best interests of the apprentice, vocational education institutions, and the wider society. In this light, the nervousness experienced by apprentices in high-stakes vocational tests is not merely an inconvenience; it's a direct challenge to their ability to pursue what matters most to them. Overcoming this CIV becomes a crucial part of their journey, a personal act of courage and responsibility that aligns deeply with the principles of finding meaning through confronting life's inevitable difficulties.

Ultimately, addressing nervousness as a CIV in high-stakes vocational assessment is more than just of psychometric interest; it's a commitment to human potential. For all apprentices, and particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, these assessments are crucibles where their dedication to ‘pursuing what matters’ is put to the ultimate test. By proactively mitigating the debilitating effects of nervousness—the debilitating chaos that can obscure their true abilities—vocational education institutions can ensure that assessment outcomes genuinely reflect an individual's hard-earned skills and character, rather than the arbitrary influence of fear. This approach not only strengthens the validity of our qualifications but also empowers every apprentice to step confidently into the meaningful future that they have worked so hard to build.

Sources

Reeves, R.V. (2022) Of Boys and Men: Why The Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, Swift Press 

UMD Special Collections and University Archives, Hurdling Tradition, Flickr, https://flic.kr/p/drUnrh, accessed 25th May 2025, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en

Mackay, B. & K., (2020) Podcast #638: How Changing Your Breathing Can Change Your Life, The Art of Manliness, Health, Health and Fitness, AoM Team • August 24, 2020 • Last updated: October 1, 2021, 

https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/health/importance-of-proper-breathing/, accessed 21st May 2025.

The quote is from a National Electrotechnical Training video on LinkedIn, (NET video)