- NURS FPX 6111 Assessment 2 Criteria and Rubric Development
Criteria and Rubric Development
In the case of nursing education, it is significant to be sure that learners are competent to perform specific tasks or not. Despite the fact that these two terms might be used in the same semantic field, it is crucial to stress as well that they mean different in this context. Evaluation in nursing education refers to the systematic and orderly process of monitoring and documenting learning achievements to ensure that they meet the course goals, knowledge, skills, and beliefs that should be positively embraced by the learner (Billings & Halstead, 2021).
An essential part of this process is the use of rubrics that give specific guidelines that can be used to judge performance against. Education is a process of knowledge acquisition where the recipient not only assimilates facts but also develops abilities to think, solve problems, make decisions, motor and perceptual skills, and the acceptance of proper attitudes and beliefs. Hence, qualifications and appraisals in nursing education must reflect these dimensions by embracing the taxonomic structure of the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective instructional domains as classified by Popham (2019).
Steps in Assembling and Administering Tests
To demonstrate the feasibility of assessment for specific learning outcomes, it is important to use tests, which require a systematic approach in their administration to guarantee efficiency, objectivity and fairness. The first strategy involves identifying the course learning outcomes that the test will cover and guarantee that they have been well aligned with the course learning outcomes besides reflecting the talents that are expected of the students. Next, test items are then designed to gear the established learning outcomes through the use of various forms such as multiple choice, essay questions, case concerns or practical exercises based on the type of learning objectives as defined (Brookhart, 2020).
NURS FPX 6111 Assessment 2 Criteria and Rubric Development
During the item development process, it is important to examine the construction of the test items in light of the learning outcomes criteria such as clarity, relevance, and alignment. General items should correlate with what is taught in the class, and not items that are ambiguous or biased in a way that would affect the performance of the learners. Furthermore, there is a need to evaluate the layout of the test, with regards to the number and distribution of items within the test items pool, cognitive complexity and accessibility, and time on task taken and held by the learner, in a bid to provide a more balanced assessment of learning facets (Popham, 2019).
Using a small sample from a group of students is useful in a way that problems such as incorrect understanding of instructions, inappropriateness of items and format and other problems may be easily detected. The information retrieved from this pilot phase contributes to the corrective measures of the test and prepares it for administration to the targeted students in a fixed setting. Firm supervision is critical during the test administration so as to curb any incidences of cheating or any other form of misbehaviour as well as to guarantee standard conditions for all students (Angelo & Cross, 2020).
Learning in the Three Domains of Learning
The evaluation of learners in cognitive, psycho motor, and affective domains is an efficient way that can be used in the achievement of the intended outcomes of nursing education. However, there are some gaps of knowledge, some unknown factors, some pieces of information that may be missing, some questions that remain unanswered and which areas can be considered more or less uncertain and which may supplement the assessment process if studied more deeply.
In the cognitive domain, the most common tests are usually geared towards testing Higher cognitive functions, which include thinking, analyzing and retention. If traditional paper and pencil type of tests, such as tests, quizzes, etc., are used to gauge the amount of learning that has taken place in cognitive learning, then one can wonder if there is a dearth of good sources that can tap the knowledge that the students have absorbed without subjecting the learners to dry tests.
Research into new types of assessment, which include the use of scenarios that involve the use of different forms of assessment or authentic samples of patients’ conditions and symptoms, can help to understand students’ thinking strategies that go beyond memorisation (Popham, 2019). In the psychomotor domain, the assessments that are made have the objective to examine and analyse physical motor activities. In particular, clinical simulations and skill or knowledge checklists are commonly used as tools for measuring the degree of psychomotor skill acquisition in nursing education.
Performance-Level Criteria
| Criteria | Non-performance | Basic | Proficient | Distinguished |
| Content Alignment with Objectives | The content does not align with the learning objectives. | Some content aligns with the learning objectives, but there are significant gaps. | Content mostly aligns with the learning objectives, with minor gaps. | Content aligns comprehensively with all learning objectives. |
| Critical Thinking Skills | Demonstrates little to no critical thinking. | Displays limited critical thinking skills. | Demonstrates proficient critical thinking skills in analyzing and prioritizing patient care. | Exhibits exceptional critical thinking skills in synthesizing information and making sound clinical decisions. |
| Application of Knowledge | Fails to apply course concepts effectively to the given scenarios. | Applies some course concepts to the scenarios but lacks depth or accuracy. | Applies course concepts accurately and effectively to analyze and solve complex patient scenarios. | Applies course concepts creatively and insightfully to address complex patient needs. |
| Clarity and Organization | Responses are unclear and poorly organized. | Responses are somewhat clear and organized but lack coherence. | Responses are clear, well-organized, and logically structured. | Responses are exceptionally clear, well-organized, and demonstrate seamless coherence. |
Grading Expectations
Teachers should, therefore, make it clear to the learners regarding what behaviours or knowledge are expected of them that would enable them to meet specific assessment ‘grade expectations’. Several criteria can help clarify this communication:
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Clear Rubric:
Share the grading rubric that includes the assessment compass as well as the grading benchmarks and levels for the learners based on Brookhart (2019). This will make the learners aware of what is expected of them and also the assessment criteria for their performance.
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Explicit Learning Objectives:
Point out the knowledge and skills that, according to the assessment, will be assessed by the final assessment (Tanner, 2019). This can be done in a way that is clear to the learner so that we can match the objectives laid out to the criteria laid out on the rubric.
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Examples and Samples:
Provide the jig-saw as well as samples of a work that matches each level of the rubric with relevance to learning objectives (Wiggins & McTighe, 2020). This gives learners tangible specifics on non-performance, the basic, proficient and distinguished achievement performance levels.
Processes that Can be used for Determining the Validity and Reliability
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Content Validity:
This process involves ensuring that the content of the exam, assessment, or tool accurately represents the knowledge, skills, or abilities it is intended to measure. Content validity can be established through expert review, where subject matter experts evaluate the relevance and representativeness of the items or tasks.
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Criterion-Related Validity:
Criterion-related validity assesses the extent to which scores on the exam, assessment, or tool are related to an external criterion, such as another established measure of the same construct. This can be determined through correlational studies comparing scores on the assessment with scores on a related measure.
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Construct Validity:
Construct validity evaluates whether the exam, assessment, or tool accurately measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure. This can be established through factor analysis, where statistical techniques are used to explore the underlying structure of the construct being measured.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that there is a need to establish the criteria and rubrics for the assessments in nursing education to ensure that the assessors provide an adequate evaluation of the learners and the course objectives are met. Due to an understanding of the assessment criteria and logical presentation of the main requirements in accordance with detailed checklists, it is possible to share the expectations regarding the learners’ performance, increase the overall understanding of the goals accompanying the ongoing evaluation, foster the learners’ critical analysis, and, therefore, enhance their performance.
Each of the abovementioned approaches and types of a student’s activities should be evaluated based on an adequate choice of assessment strategies and the ability to focus not only on the cognitive aspects of the learning process but also on the psychomotor and affective domains. Read more about our sample NURS FPX 6111 Assessment 1 for complete information about this class.
References
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