Implementation of an electronic Objective Structured Clinical Exam for assessing practical skills in pre-professional physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs: Examiner and course coordinator perspectives

Snodgrass, Suzanne J.; Ashby, Samantha; Rivett, Darren A.; Russell, Trevor

doi:10.14742/ajet.348

Cited by 26 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Dramatic increases in university enrolments over the past decades have led to increasing pressure to efficiently assess large numbers of students, while also providing high‐quality educational experiences and engaging in innovative practice (Nicol, ). Recent studies have explored how technology can reduce marking time and administration, automate feedback, improve students’ engagement with feedback and offer new opportunities for formative assessment (Atkinson & Lim, ; Daly, Pachler, Mor & Mellar, ; Nix & Wylie, ; Snodgrass, Ashby, Rivett & Russell, ). In this context, technology presents both solutions and challenges.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How technology shapes assessment design: Findings from a study of university teachers

Bennett¹,

Dawson²,

Bearman³

et al. 2016

Brit J Educational Tech

100

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A wide range of technologies has been developed to enhance assessment, but adoption has been inconsistent. This is despite assessment being critical to student learning and certification. To understand why this is the case and how it can be addressed, we need to explore the perspectives of academics responsible for designing and implementing technology‐supported assessment strategies. This paper reports on the experience of designing technology‐supported assessment based on interviews with 33 Australian university teachers. The findings reveal the desire to achieve greater efficiencies and to be contemporary and innovative as key drivers of technology adoption for assessment. Participants sought to shape student behaviors through their designs and made adaptations in response to positive feedback and undesirable outcomes. Many designs required modification because of a lack of appropriate support, leading to compromise and, in some cases, abandonment. These findings highlight the challenges to effective technology‐supported assessment design and demonstrate the difficulties university teachers face when attempting to negotiate mixed messages within institutions and the demands of design work. We use these findings to suggest opportunities to improve support by offering pedagogical guidance and technical help at critical stages of the design process and encouraging an iterative approach to design.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How technology shapes assessment design: Findings from a study of university teachers

Bennett¹,

Dawson²,

Bearman³

et al. 2016

Brit J Educational Tech

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, the timeliness of e‐feedback appears to be crucial if it is to act as a memory aide for students about particular performance skills and details that otherwise might be forgotten or misremembered. Thus, the timeliness of individualized e‐feedback using technology appears to enable eOSCEs to be perceived as an authentic learning experience (Snodgrass et al ., ; Yoo & Park, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In eOSCEs, examiners use electronic marking (e‐marking), with the outcome of the assessment usually delivered electronically to students as e‐feedback. An eOSCE is associated with improvements to the administrative process, as it allows quicker processing of feedback for students and streamlines administration (Beaumont et al ., ; Snodgrass et al ., ). Thus, eOSCEs provide immediate and potentially more comprehensive feedback (Schmidts, ; Nackman et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Factors shaping e‐feedback utilization following electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Ashby

Snodgrass

Rivett

et al. 2016

Nursing & Health Sciences

Self Cite

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The development of student-practitioners' practical clinical skills is essential in health professional education. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations are central to the assessment of students performing clinical procedures on simulated patients (actors). While feedback is considered core to learning providing timely, individualised student OSCE feedback is difficult. This study explored the perceptions of students about the multiple factors which shape the utility of e-feedback following an electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, which utilized iPad and specialised software. The e-feedback was trialled in four courses within occupational therapy and physiotherapy pre-professional programs with a cohort of 204 students. Evaluation of student perceptions about feedback was collected using two surveys and eight focus groups. This data showed three factors shaped perceptions of the utility of e- Objective Structured Clinical Examinations feedback: 1) timely accessibility within one day of the assessment, 2) feedback demonstrating examiners' academic literacy and 3) feedback orientated to ways of improving future performance of clinical skills. The study found training in the provision of feedback using IPads and software is needed for examiners to ensure e-feedback meets students' needs for specific, future-oriented e-feedback and institutional requirements for justification of grades.

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“…By attempting to minimise variability in patients and examiners, OSCEs can be valid and reliable in student evaluations during clinical competency‐based assessments . Providing feedback is an inherent requirement of the OSCE process, but with increasing cohort sizes and corresponding numbers of OSCEs, providing effective student feedback beyond a simple score has become laborious and unsustainable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Electronic OSCEs have been developed to reduce the workload of academics and to concurrently provide timely student feedback . In 2016, we began to develop an optometric iPad‐based OSCE assessment system and implemented it in 2017.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A digital resource to assess clinical competency

Cham

Cochrane

2019

The Clinical Teacher

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Summary Background Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are integral to clinical competency‐based assessment in health care disciplines. Traditional paper‐based OSCEs require considerable administration time and students typically receive an assessment outcome with minimal feedback. We developed and implemented an iPad‐based OSCE assessment system in optometry that delivered timely and specific e‐feedback. Methods The electronic assessment system contains all of the features of a paper‐based OSCE format, including a checklist score, a global score section and pre‐written feedback. It was trialed in a year‐3 OSCE assessment. We evaluated students and examiners’ perceptions of this digital resource via surveys and focus group interviews. Results Over 90% of the students reported that the e‐feedback was timely, facilitated self‐reflection and was appropriate for assessment. Students’ focus group interviews highlighted the importance of the timeliness of feedback, and students found both verbal and written feedback useful. All examiners were satisfied with the features of the assessment system and felt confident using it for assessment. Discussion The iPad‐based OSCE assessment system has enabled timely feedback to be delivered efficiently. This study has provided a model of what constitutes good e‐feedback. The technology was well received by both students and examiners. It has helped to close the assessment loop by delivering usable and developmental feedback to meet students’ learning needs.

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Implementation of an electronic Objective Structured Clinical Exam for assessing practical skills in pre-professional physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs: Examiner and course coordinator perspectives

Cited by 26 publications

References 20 publications

How technology shapes assessment design: Findings from a study of university teachers

How technology shapes assessment design: Findings from a study of university teachers

Factors shaping e‐feedback utilization following electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

A digital resource to assess clinical competency

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