Criteria and Rubric Development Essay
Assessments play a crucial role in the educational journey, providing a comprehensive understanding of students’ grasp of the subject matter and their ability to apply learned concepts in practical scenarios. In the context of the “Advanced Nursing Informatics” course, a diverse array of assessment strategies has been meticulously designed to ensure that students not only absorb the theoretical foundations of nursing informatics but also develop the practical skills needed to excel in this evolving field.
Description of Assessment
The assessment strategies employed in the “Advanced Nursing Informatics” course are thoughtfully designed to assess the six defined learning objectives comprehensively. These strategies encompass both formative and summative assessments, allowing students to receive continuous feedback and opportunities for growth (Schildkamp et al., 2020). Each assessment is carefully crafted to mirror real-world scenarios, ensuring the skills acquired are directly transferable to nursing practice.
Assessment Tool
One of the assessment tools that will be used in the course is the “Case Study Analysis.” This tool provides a dynamic platform for students to apply their knowledge of nursing informatics principles to complex, real-world healthcare scenarios (Pastore & Andrade, 2019). Each case study presents a multifaceted challenge that requires students to leverage informatics solutions to devise innovative strategies for patient care and decision-making.
Domains of Learning Evaluated
The “Case Study Analysis” assessment tool evaluates multiple domains of learning, encompassing cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The cognitive domain is addressed as students analyze the case, identifying key informatics principles and devising appropriate solutions. The affective domain is engaged as students grapple with ethical considerations, demonstrating their capacity to integrate ethical standards when managing health information. Lastly, the psychomotor domain is evaluated as students translate theoretical knowledge into practical solutions, showcasing their ability to implement informatics solutions effectively.
Validity and Reliability of Assessment Strategies
Ensuring the validity and reliability of assessment strategies is paramount to guarantee accurate and meaningful evaluations. A comprehensive validation and reliability process can be employed to support the chosen assessment strategies.
Validity
Validity refers to the extent to which an assessment tool measures what it intends to measure. For the “Case Study Analysis” assessment tool, several steps can be taken to establish validity:
- Alignment with Learning Objectives: The case studies should be carefully designed to align with the defined learning objectives. Each case should present challenges that directly mirror the skills and knowledge students are expected to acquire.
- Expert Review: Engaging subject matter experts in nursing informatics can provide invaluable insights into the validity of the case studies. Experts can assess whether the presented scenarios are realistic and reflective of actual nursing informatics challenges.
- Pilot Testing: Conducting pilot tests with a small group of students can help identify any ambiguities or inconsistencies in the assessment tool. Feedback from pilot testing can be used to refine the case studies and ensure their validity.
Reliability
Reliability refers to the consistency and stability of assessment results over time. To enhance the reliability of the assessment strategies, the following steps can be taken:
- Clear Rubrics: Providing clear and well-defined rubrics for evaluating the case study analyses ensures that different instructors arrive at similar conclusions when assessing students’ work.
- Training for Evaluators: Instructors responsible for evaluating the case studies should undergo training to ensure that they apply the rubrics consistently and impartially.
- Moderation and Consensus: Incorporating a moderation process where multiple instructors review and discuss a subset of case studies can help identify and address any discrepancies in evaluation. This process can lead to consensus and enhance the reliability of assessment outcomes.
Effective Communication of Grading Expectations to Learners
Grading expectations should be communicated to learners in a clear and comprehensive manner. This can be achieved through the distribution of a well-structured course syllabus that outlines the grading criteria, assignment weights, and assessment breakdown. Additionally, instructors should hold an initial orientation or session to explain the grading system, highlighting the significance of each performance level (Granberg et al., 2021). Providing rubrics for assignments and assessments ensures transparency by detailing specific criteria for evaluation. Regularly discussing grading criteria during classes or through digital platforms fosters continuous understanding. Encouraging questions and offering clarification opportunities establishes an open channel for learners to seek guidance on grading expectations. By combining these methods, instructors can ensure learners are fully informed about how their performance will be assessed, promoting a more focused and engaged learning experience.
Conclusion
The assessment strategies in the “Advanced Nursing Informatics” course are carefully designed to evaluate a range of learning objectives. The “Case Study Analysis” assessment tool, in particular, offers a robust platform for students to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world scenarios. Validity is ensured through alignment with learning objectives, expert review, and pilot testing, while reliability is enhanced through clear rubrics, evaluator training, and moderation processes. By employing these validation and reliability measures, the course aims to provide a robust assessment framework that accurately evaluates students’ abilities and prepares them to excel in the dynamic field of nursing informatics.
C# | Criteria | Non-Performance | Basic | Proficient | Distinguished |
C1 | Did the student adequately address core nursing informatics concepts in their responses? | The student demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of nursing informatics principles. | The student displayed a basic understanding of nursing informatics concepts but with limited depth. | The student demonstrated a solid grasp of nursing informatics principles and their relevance to healthcare. | The student showcased an exceptional mastery of nursing informatics concepts and their practical applications. |
C2 | Were the explanations provided by the student relevant to the course’s learning objectives and content? | The responses were grossly misaligned with the learning objectives and the context of nursing informatics. | The responses were partially aligned with the learning objectives but lacked comprehensive application. | The responses were well-structured and consistently aligned with the learning objectives and the course content. | The responses were insightful and seamlessly aligned with the learning objectives and the course’s vision. |
C3 | Did the student demonstrate an understanding of essential healthcare informatics principles? | The student failed to recognize or address any essential concepts or components of nursing informatics. | The student provided some examples of how nursing informatics can impact patient care but with minimal elaboration. | The student offered detailed examples of how nursing informatics can transform patient care, research, and leadership. | The student provided innovative and creative examples of how informatics can revolutionize patient care and research. |
C4 | Were the arguments presented by the student connected to key nursing informatics concepts? | The arguments or explanations provided were inconsistent or factually incorrect in relation to nursing informatics. | The arguments presented were logically structured, but occasional gaps in the flow of ideas were evident. | The arguments were logically structured, building a coherent narrative around the role of informatics in healthcare. | The arguments were presented with impeccable logical structure, demonstrating a deep understanding of the topic. |
C5 | Did the student omit important details regarding the role of informatics in healthcare and nursing practice? | The student did not attempt to integrate ethical considerations or technological advancements in healthcare. | The student briefly mentioned ethical considerations and technology integration without exploring their significance thoroughly. | The student effectively integrated ethical considerations and advanced technologies in their explanations. | The student seamlessly integrated ethical considerations and technological advancements, showcasing an advanced understanding of their impact on nursing practice, research, and leadership. |
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References
Granberg, C., Palm, T., & Palmberg, B. (2021). A case study of formative assessment practice and the effects on students’ self-regulated learning. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 68, 100955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100955
Pastore, S., & Andrade, H. L. (2019). Teacher assessment literacy: A three-dimensional model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 84, 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.05.003
Schildkamp, K., van der Kleij, F. M., Heitink, M. C., Kippers, W. B., & Veldkamp, B. P. (2020). Formative assessment: A systematic review of critical teacher prerequisites for classroom practice. International Journal of Educational Research, 103, 101602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101602
Create a 1-2 page assessment description that includes the rationale for the chosen assessment strategy (Part One) and the related grading rubric (Part Two).
Introduction
Nurse educators need to be able to develop strategies within a course to verify that learners are successfully attaining competency with the material. While Assessment is sometimes used interchangeably with evaluation, there are differences. Nursing education requires a process of formally and objectively documenting that the student has successfully attained the knowledge, skills, attitudes, or beliefs to meet the course objectives and competencies. Rubrics are used in education to create a standardized way of evaluating performance.
Learning is considered a process and not just an event. In order to objectively measure learning, assessments and evaluations should be based on one or more of three domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. Learning activities and evaluations should focus on one or more of these domains:
The cognitive domain deals with scholarly activities such as critical thinking, decision-making, and rational thought.
The psychomotor domain is part of learning physical skills, such as placing an intravenous catheter or performing a sterile technique.
The affective domain deals with attitudes, feelings, beliefs, and opinions, such as those related to health care.
Preparation
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.
Which classroom assessment techniques (CATs) can be applied to the clinical and classroom setting?
How can the use of CAT in nursing education develop a deeper level of learning for the learner?
What are examples of the psychomotor domain?
What are examples of cognitive domain?
What are examples of the affective domain?
What are the key components of a rubric?
How can a nurse educator use a rubric for evaluating the learning outcomes of a course?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using rubrics in nursing education?
Select an assessment strategy for your learning objectives from Assessment 1. (Refer to feedback you received for Assessment 1.) What assignment would you give your learners, and how are you going to assess their performance?
Select one or more of your stated learning objectives and identify the specific domains (cognitive, psychomotor, or affective) that could be used to assess a learner’s demonstration of proficiency. While one assessment may not address all three domains, all three should be included in a course.
If the learning objective assesses the cognitive domain, what assessment tool would you use?
If the learning objective assesses the psychomotor domain, how will you test for proficiency?
If the learning objective assesses the affective domain, how will you know if the learner is proficient?
Consider the various processes that can be used for determining the validity and reliability of an assessment. It is more than just using the assessment tool, and there are several different mechanisms.
Think about how we validate information—with faculty and student surveys, peer review, a pilot grades/student progression, or anecdotal comments. For written exams, consider test item and content analysis.
Discuss development and administration of the exam or assessment tool.
Determine how grading expectations can be communicated to learners. It is important for learners to know what skills, knowledge, or attitudes are needed to be successful. Instructions must be clearly stated (and in more than one form).
Think in terms of how to explain the grading rubric, or a specific faculty expectation message from instructor to learner. Is this information in the syllabus, test blueprint, or course outline? This will help you create a description of the assessment.
To learn more about APA style and formatting, and to view a sample paper in APA format, go to the Capella Writing Center’s Evidence and APA page.
Part One – Assessment Description and Rationale
The real-world deliverable is a single document intended to be given to your work supervisor. The purpose of this document is to achieve two things:
An assessment description summarizes the big picture of the assessment and describes how a learner’s performance of the learning outcomes will be evaluated.
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The rationale provides evidence-based support for your chosen assessment strategy.
You must complete the following in Part One:
Write a brief description of the assessment.
Describe the type of assessment tool that will be used to assess the learning objectives.
Identify the domains of learning the tool will evaluate.
Support your assessment strategy with an explanation of the processes that could be used to determine the validity and reliability of the assessment strategies chosen.
Part Two – Create a Grading Rubric
Create a grading rubric for your new assessment using a table format. Refer to the Rubric Template [DOCX].
Your rubric should clearly assess the learning objectives and have distinct levels of performance. For example, the scoring guides in your Capella assessments use the following performance levels. Although these will more often be used in a digital format, for the assessment, include the name of the course, the learner, faculty, and date.
Non-performance.
Basic.
Proficient.
Distinguished.
Note: Titles for performance levels can be whatever you deem appropriate to your specific learning environment. The four levels mentioned above are examples of possible performance-level language. You may use whatever terms fit the best in your setting.
Additional Requirements
Follow the formatting and style guidelines in Evidence and APA. In addition, your assessment should meet the following requirements:
APA format: Use correct APA style and formatting, paying particular attention to citations and references.
References: Include peer-reviewed scholarly resources from the last 5 years. If using websites, avoid advertisements.
Length: Assessment description and rationale should 1–2 double-spaced pages (not including cover page and reference list). Include grading rubric table in the same document and include the name of the course, faculty, learner, and date.
Font and font size: Any approved APA fonts, 12 point.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Apply principles of assessment and evaluation for use in nursing education programs.
Describe processes that can be used for determining the validity and reliability of an exam, assessment, or tool.
Competency 2: Apply a variety of strategies to assess learning in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains.
Assess learning in the three domains of learning (cognitive, psychomotor, and affective).
Competency 3: Engage in the development of teaching strategies, assessments, and evaluation tools for diverse learner needs.
Provide a brief description of an assessment that will be used to evaluate specific learning outcomes.
Explain the steps in assembling and administering tests for specific learning outcomes.
Create performance-level criteria that are distinct and progress in a clear and logical order.
Determine how grading expectations should be communicated to learners.
Competency 6: Communicate as a practitioner-scholar, consistent with the expectations for a health care professional.
Convey purpose of the assessment in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence using APA style citations and references, and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly communication standards.