The importance of practical assessment

 

Introduction

Across the globe, the assessment of students’ competence when it comes to practice is a matter of concern for all practice-based professions such as medicine, teaching, and accountancy (Whiteford, 2007). For instance, Hawe (2003) made it known that in New Zealand, the assessment of student teachers was not based purely on judging their practical competence only on their published works, but also on how they were able to deliver the desired results in classes, thus creating needed parity in such assessment. Irrespective of the country or profession, it is generally agreed that assessing the practical performance of students is vital in order to ensure that they do not enter the professional register with poor skills that have potentially risky consequences for the concerned client group (Bowrey et al., 2007; Cleland et al., 2008; Duffy, 2003; Luhanga et al., 2008). In line with this understanding, this paper has been developed to discuss the importance of practical assessment, design a practical skill assessment criteria for marking, justify the marks that should be allocated for each assessed skill, and recommend ways that can be used to offer constructive feedback to students.

The importance of practical assessment

There are numerous benefits of practical assessment, but the major ones are discussed in this case, and in order to ensure better assimilation, references are made to the nursing profession. Louise et al. (2011) noted that one of the benefits of practical assessment is to ensure that the students can operate independently and still deliver the expected outcomes in line with professional standards. In accordance with the International Council of Nursing (ICN), the most vital principle when it comes to assessing nursing students is safety (ICN, 2006). There are national standards in each country, but the overall goal is to reflect that safe practices are important by making sure that students have acquired the baseline of competence that they will use to start their careers professionally (NCSBN, 2011; ANMC, 2010; SANC, 2008). As such, the expectation is that each of the newly qualified nurses is capable of functioning safely; and from such a secure foundation, the nurses can further develop based on experience. Thus, it is clear that determining the extent to which a student can independently operate in line with these safety standards is only possible through practical assessment (watching them do it).

Secondly, practical assessment is important because it allows the lecturer to measure the overall progress of a student and, as such, enhance the guidance process towards making sure that the student is on the right track (Louise et al., 2011). Normally, pre-registration nursing programmes last for three years, and in addition to the academic studies that the students go through at the university level, they are also exposed to a wide range of clinical practices through varied placements. For instance, in year one, the focus is on vital nursing care, but this shifts to evidence-based decision making by year three, as well as the ability to manage how groups of patients are taken care of (NMC, 2008). Thus, practical assessment is a continuous process and can be used to track a student’s progress, helping deliver better guidance for the student in relation to their career paths.

Finally, practical assessment is important because it helps to either complement or advance the theoretical assessment, offering equal opportunity for the students (Louise et al., 2011). Some students perform best theoretically, while others perform best practically. Thus, if only one form of assessment is employed, it does limit fairness in the overall assessment outcomes. This has led researchers to conclude that practical and theoretical assessment should be made mandatory for students (Denton, 2005; HEFCE, 2010; Bradbury-Jones et al., 2010).

Design of practical skill assessment criteria for marking and justification

Considering the page (word count) requirement of this paper, the assessment criteria for marketing will be divided into two categories: passed or failed.

Category: pass

Grade: 50% or higher

The student has produced outstanding work in all respects, with the work having high professional standards.

Presentation/performance

In this case, the work was well structured, designed, presented, and performed in a way that is best suited for the test being carried out and allows for the audience to be powerfully engaged. The student’s artistic choice does demonstrate a high level of originality and creative imagination. An entirely appropriate approach was adopted for presenting, constructing, and executing the work, with no room for criticism. All matters related to the presentation or performance that should have been considered were addressed. The student employed extremely good skills for the presentation and performance, providing no ground for criticism. The student clearly performed and presented the work in a way that meets all professional standards.

Process

There is strong evidence to show that the student has been highly consistent and committed to the project—in relation to the allocated time scale—based on how time was managed, the terms of the research, and overall practical application. In the case of collaborative work, the student’s work is considered to have significantly contributed to the success of the project based on the intellectual insight, disciplined organization, and sustained commitment of the student. There is a clear demonstration of the student’s ability to detect and handle major issues that emanate from the project, to collaborate with others for the group’s overall benefits, and perform the project in a way that yields a highly favorable outcome based on practical skills and personal experience.

Ideas

In the work, the student has demonstrated a clear ability to communicate ideas that are significant with the way the work was presented or performed. The intellectual ideas upon which the work is based or found in the work do show that the individual has a high perception of the issue raised. From the views, it can be seen that the student is fully aware of the present trends in relation to the project and the cultural norms that lead to the development of new approaches related to the task. The criteria set by the students or given to the students have been meticulously adhered to in all aspects and put through a penetrating critical appraisal in cases where necessary. The student’s current practice does show evidence of relevant research.

Technical features

All the technical features of the work that fall within the control of the student have been handled skilfully, and there are no technical issues that could hinder the conceptualized work from being released. Technicality and creativity are completely and satisfactorily fused together. In cases where technical issues are of high importance, the student has demonstrated an ability that is of high standards. Generally, the work is efficiently organized and managed within the time and budget constraints.

Documentation

In cases where this is applicable, the student should show an extremely detailed account (in terms of data recording, reflection, and analysis) of a dynamic process in the research, technical experimentation, and exploration that has been manifested in the course of time.

Interview

Finally, in the event that the student is called upon to defend the practical skills through an interview, the student is able to defend the work in all aspects with relevant, elegant, and comprehensive persuasive rationale.

failed category

Grade: less than 50%

Justification: there were some serious omissions and errors, and a (possibly decent) but insufficient attempt.

Presentation or performance

The form of presentation/performance employed by the student is either inappropriate or misconceived, leading to an overall misrepresentation of the purpose of the exercise. The work is presented in an inadequate manner, making it impossible to redeem or justify. Basically, professional standards were either poorly integrated or not employed at all.

Process

The student showed little or no evidence of commitment towards the project—in terms of delivering within the timescale—based on the research terms, how time was managed, and how the outcome could be applied.

Ideas

The basic idea present is not in line with the requirements of the project, even if such an idea is possibly appropriate in another setting. That is to say, essential ideas are missing in the project.

Technical features

There is a significant failure in the technical aspect of the project, which goes to imply that the work is either not fully completed or not presentable.

Documentation

There is no evidence to show that the work was produced through careful research and planning.

Interview

There is evidence that the student cannot articulate a coherent explanation or defense of the vital features of the project. The general impression of a failing grade is that the student has not attained the objective of the project.

Sample: SOCE

In this sample, the students are asked to open a SPUTUM SPECIMEN and they are graded based on how they follow nursing standards procedures.

 

Criteria	Marking					Comment
	< 85%	75-84%	60-74%	41-59%	> 40%
Pre-collection procedures						The students will be graded based on the extent to which they think sputum correction is necessary for the health issue facing the patient. The extent at which they are aware of the standard policies and procedures for collecting specimen. The extent at which they can explain the purpose of the specimen to the patient, the implication for treatment, and obtaining informed consent.
Collection procedures						The students will be graded on the extent at which they are competent to undertake the procedure, which include: knowing the correct procedure for collection; collecting the specimen at the right time; collecting the specimen in a way that minimizes the risk of contamination; collecting the specimen in a manner that reduces the risk to all staffs; and collecting the specimen with the correct equipment. Additionally, the student should be aware of infection control principles involved in the collection of tissue and blood fluids.
Post-collection procedures						Following successful collection, the student should understand the importance of accurate record keeping. Thus, the students will be graded on their post-collection procedure based on how accurately they document the whole process which include; being able to record the time the specimen was collected, the result, and changes to treatment that occur in response to the results. Additionally, they will be assessed on how they appropriate store and transport the specimen.

Sources as adapted from: Dougherty and Lister (2015), Higgins (2014), Nursing and Midwifery Council (2015), Richardson (2005), and Shepherd (2017)

Recommended ways of providing constructive feedback to students

To the students, feedback implies that someone has actually cared enough to assess their work and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of such work. Basically, feedback matches certain suggestions and descriptions with a given student’s work. Feedback is considered a vital element of the formative assessment process because it provides the students and teachers with an overview of how a student is performing relative to the learning goals of the class, thus providing the necessary directions for correction and guidance. It is important to point out that the feedback is highly influenced by the context, which implies that the context in view determines how feedback is offered. However, it is recommended in this paper that constructive feedback can be offered to the students by adopting the following strategies.

Timing

This is all about when the feedback is offered and how often it should be offered (Susan, 2008). In this case, it is recommended that the teacher should offer instant feedback for knowledge or facts as to whether such is right or wrong. Feedback needs to be delayed a little in order to better understand how the student thinks and processes issues. Feedback should never be delayed beyond when it will make a desired difference for the student. For all major assignments, feedback should be offered as often as possible.

Amount

This relates to the volume of points made and the extent of each point (Susan, 2008). It is recommended that the teacher should focus on highlighting and picking the most vital points, adopting points that are best related to the main learning outcomes, and put the student’s development level into perspective.

Mode

This implies whether the feedback should be delivered orally, in writing, or through demonstration (Susan, 2008). It is recommended that the teacher should adopt the mode that is most capable of delivering the desired message. Any mode employed should be interactive, as this will allow for better assessment of the student. Written feedback should be left on the written work or assignment cover sheet. In the event that the student doesn’t understand the practical nature of the work, it is best to demonstrate to the student how to do the work.

Audience

This relates to whether the feedback is targeted at an individual or group/class (Susan, 2008). Individual feedback for individual works and group feedback for group works should be given.However, the teacher can also use a student’s particular work (while keeping the student anonymous) to provide feedback for the entire class on how to go about their individual work.

Conclusion

From the above discussions, it is concluded that practical assessment is vital because it helps to understand a student’s overall progress, determine how the student can work professionally without assistance, and evaluate the extent to which the student is able to employ all professional standards. There are different ways of assessing the performance of a student and grading it, but the overall objective is still to determine whether the student passed or failed. Finally, constructive feedback is vital for a student’s performance because it helps the student understand areas where they have gone wrong.