Difference between Facilitator, Assessor, and Moderator

As a training provider, you’ll interact with all three roles: facilitator, assessor, and moderator, but they each have distinct functions:

Facilitator:

Focuses on learning: The facilitator guides learners through the training program, ensuring they understand the material and objectives.

Expert in delivery: They use various teaching methods to keep participants engaged and promote active learning.

Not an evaluator: Facilitators typically don’t assess learners’ performance directly.

Assessor:

Evaluates learning: The assessor judges whether learners have achieved the learning outcomes of the training program.

Uses assessment tools: They employ various methods like tests, practical exercises, or projects to measure knowledge and skills.

Provides feedback: Assessors offer feedback to learners on their strengths and areas for improvement.

Moderator:

Ensures fairness: The moderator oversees the assessment process to ensure consistency and fairness across different assessors and programs.

Reviews assessments: They may review assessment tools and ensure they accurately measure learning objectives.

Maintains quality: Moderators help uphold the quality and integrity of the training program’s assessment procedures.

In short, facilitators guide learning, assessors judge learning, and moderators oversee the fairness and quality of the assessment process.

In short: (Summary)

Facilitator – Makes learning happen.

Assessor – Checks if learning happened.

Moderator – Ensures assessments are fair and accurate.

Roles and responsibilities of the facilitator, assessor and moderator

The training requirements for facilitators, assessors, and moderators differ slightly, but all involve attending accredited courses. See below:

Facilitator:

• Focuses on delivering training programs effectively.
• Courses are typically accredited by organizations like the Education and Training Quality Assurance Body (ETDP SETA) in South Africa.
• Training covers methods for facilitating outcome-based learning programs.
• Entry requirements usually involve competency in the subject area you’ll be facilitating.

Assessor:

• Responsible for evaluating a learner’s knowledge and skills against set criteria.
• Requires attending an accredited assessor course.
• Courses cover topics like conducting assessments, providing feedback, and ensuring assessments are fair and reliable.
• Some experience in evaluation within the relevant field may be recommended.

Moderator:

• Oversees the quality of assessments conducted by assessors.
• Requires attending a moderator course after completing assessor training and gaining experience.
• Training focuses on tasks like preparing for moderation, reviewing assessments, and ensuring consistency across assessors.

Training/Courses to be done to qualify for a Facilitator, Assessor and Moderator