Assessment has long been recognised as the single most influential factor in shaping what and how students in higher education choose to learn and the quality of learning outcomes depends on the quality of assessment. Within intellectual disability nursing the student are prepared within a biopsychosocialeducational model and curriculum address these challenges. Structured student debates have great potential for promoting competence and in-depth knowledge of substantive topics relevant to practice. Like other interactive assignments designed to more closely resemble real-world activities, issue oriented debates actively engage students in course content. Allowing students to develop and exercise skills that translate to practice activities. Most importantly debates help to stimulate critical thinking by shaking students free from established opinions and helping them to appreciate the complexities involved in practice. This article identifies the use of a debate as an assessment method within an intellectual disability nursing programme and a student's reflective comment on the process, and their experience of a debate as their assessment method.

Within intellectual disability nursing students are prepared within a biopsychosocialeducational model and curriculum address these challenges. Using a simulated learning environment has great potential for promoting competence and indepth knowledge of substantive topics relevant to practice. This article presents an assignment designed to more closely resemble realeworld activities to allow students develop and exercise skills that translate to practice activities and incorporates a student's reflective comments on the process. The assignment was designed to foster intellectual disability student nurses ability to facilitate family/client education. The aim of the assignment was fulfilled through the students designing a clinical skill teaching session that could be used with families/clients. The sessions were recorded and the student reviewed their recording to reflect on their performance and to self assess. To facilitate student learning the modules academic lecturer also reviewed the recording and both lecturer and student meet to discuss the reflection and self assessment.