Educational Assessment: Social Context of Health and Ageing Report (Assessment)

Introduction

The assessment activity was performed at the educational facility; Social Context of Health and Ageing was chosen for the reflection. It consisted of a critical analysis of the information available from academic texts followed by a focused inquiry on a topic of interest and mandatory forums. Combined, the activities’ worth was 100% of marks.

Was the assessment sustainable?

Norcini et al. (2011) point out that there are seven criteria for a good assessment. The assessment is coherent and valid, but its reproducibility might be too complicated for those organisations unfamiliar with its design or not experienced in it. I believe that there are no equivalents to the assessment, and its feasibility, therefore, can be compromised. Its feasibility and educational effect are not satisfactory because they do not contain enough tasks for effective training of test takers. It is worth noting that participation in the forums supported reflective learning.

Did the assessment assist you to develop informed judgement?

Only partially. The assessment encouraged using critical skills or evaluating information as it was based on the analysis of academic literature. However, no guidelines were available for the evaluation of the reliability of the sources or the applicability of the obtained information in the forums. In general, these assignments did not help me create informed judgement because they had contained information that I did not find necessary for critical thinking.

Did the assessment construct reflexive learners?

The forums provided the ability to construct reflexive learners because they prompted the discussion and, by extension, reflection among the participants. However, if the instructor could emphasise the importance of our attitude towards information and give us several tasks that would capitalize reflection, the assessment would be more effective. In addition, we experienced disruptions in the learning process, and the forums themselves did not require deep consideration aside from the ability to present the findings.

Did the assessment form you as the becoming practitioner?

It appeared to me that there were no particular goals in the assessment that focused on my development as a becoming practitioner. Theoretically, the literature review and forums were helpful because they gave me information and insights. However, practically they were unable to reflect the values of the lecturer that they might want to pass to their students (Bearman et al. 2014). It also appeared to me that the units did not have a common topic or theme that could indicate their relation to each other. I think the assessment lacked practicality, and that was the reason why it could not form me as a becoming practitioner.

What could be done to modify the task to better achieve these criteria/principles?

The task should focus on the following changes:

1. It needs more practicality. It would be better for the tasks to refer to specific problems and cases we are expected to face in the future. However, the analysis would benefit from the introduction of a specific and well-defined objective ; therefore, the tasks need to align with our professional goals better.
2. More teamwork is necessary. Teamwork can show students how people work together on a complex goal. In teamwork, we will be able to understand our strengths and weaknesses and evaluate how effectively we work with people who might have other opinions and views.
3. The criteria for evaluation of sources and application of findings would improve the critical thinking skills. A framework that would allow us to determine the quality of evidence and reliability of the source would contribute to our professional development.

Reference List

Bearman, M, Dawson, P, Boud, D, Hall, M, Bennett, S, Molloy, E & Joughin, G 2014, Guide to the assessment design decisions framework. Web.

Norcini, J, Anderson, B, Bollela, V, Burch, V, Costa, MJ, Duvivier, R & Roberts, T 2011, ‘Criteria for good assessment: consensus statement and recommendations from the Ottawa 2010 Conference’, Medical Teacher, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 206-214.