Students experience of the process of practice assessment a multiprofessional case study from Social

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Students experience of the process of practice
assessment a multi-professional case study from
Social work, Midwifery and Emergency
Care.Tracey Proctor-Childs Deputy Head of
school (learning and teaching) ,Nursing and
community studiesMargaret Fisher, Midwifery
Lecturer, Placement development team leader
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Aims of the study

• The development of
• Generic Guidelines for
• ASSESSMENT OF PRACTICE
• which are relevant across professional boundaries
  and embedded in contemporary evidence,
  contributing to the Ceppl ethos of transforming
  the student experience and enhancing
  Inter-professional placements

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The Research Questions

• What are perceptions of validity and reliability
  of the practice assessment methods?
• What are perceptions of the impact of the
  practice assessment process on the student
  learning experience?

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Participants

• Midwifery students undertaking a direct entry 3
  year programme
• Midwifery students undertaking an 18 month
  shortened programme
• Social work students undertaking a 3 year
  programme
• Emergency Care Practitioners undertaking a post
  qualifying 1year full time or 2 years part time
  programme
• Students mentors/practice assessors and lecturers
  who participated in the assessment of practice
  were also recruited

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Definitions

• Practice
• The application and development of the
  appropriate skills and knowledge to the
  professional role in the environment where that
  professional activity takes place
• Practice learning
• Distinguished by the framework of support,
  teaching and assessment for students on
  professional programmes, working alongside others
  to deliver a service to the public as part of
  their course

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For the purposes of this research Practice
Assessment

• May not necessarily take place in the clinical/
  practice environment, but must incorporate
  practice
• Involves both formative and summative elements
• Includes all the evidence contributing to the
  judgement about whether the student can progress
  or not in practice

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Specific tools

• The CRAG document (midwifery)
• The student led verification tool (post
  qualifying health studies)
• Graded assessment of practice (social work and
  midwifery)

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Other methods of practice assessment

• Portfolios
• Conversations with users
• OSCEs
• Reflections
• Specific practice competences for midwifery which
  are shared with nursing students

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Methodology

• 1. Longitudinal case study over 3 years,
  following the students journey from start to
  completion of their programme. Students from
  Midwifery, Emergency Care and Social Work degree
  programmes are participating.
• 2. Focus groups/ interviews of staff involved in
  practice assessment, exploring their views.
• 3. Literature searching and conference
  networking, to seek and give a wider airing to
  other examples of excellent practice within the
  assessment of professional practice.
• 4. Evaluation of assessment documentation
• 5. Exploration of latent aspects of learning and
  its impact on professionalism

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Methodology

• All students were interviewed using a
  semi-structured questionnaire based on an
  extended literature review and on focus groups
  during which final year students explored the
  nature and purpose of practice assessment.
• The interviews take place after the final year
  one assessment of practice and before the results
  from the award boards.
• The interviewers were the lead researchers and
  other members of the research team and included
  practitioners and ex-students.
• The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed
  by the interviewers all transcripts were returned
  to the participants for verification and for any
  additional comments they wished to make.

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Methodology

• The participants were given the name and contact
  details of their interviewer who they could
  contact at any point after the interview and
  before interviews took place in year 2 for any
  further comments they wished to make in relation
  to practice assessment.
• In an effort to reduce bias and enhance depth of
  data students are interviewed by a researcher
  who does not share the same professional
  background as the participant

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Results

• Transcripts were analysed by the two lead
  researchers which resulted in an initial
  identification of themes.
• Single-case and cross-case analysis and
  synthesis will be conducted as the study
  progresses
• The framework techniques as described by Ritchie
  and Spencer (1994) will facilitate this process.

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Findings

• Purpose
• Process
• Guidance

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Methods of assessment

• Achievement of learning
• Provides focus
• Jumping through hoops
• Creative accounting

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Processes

• Positive forms of learning
• Attributes
• Workload
• Organisation
• Ethical concerns
• Involvement of others
• Self assessment
• Professional judgement

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Preparation

• Facilitation
• Obstruction

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Facilitating consistency and inconsistency

• Involvement of others
• Clarity and consistency
• Student influence

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Normal practice

• Reality versus artificially created reality
• Real world practice
• Discipline clarity and role expectations

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What should this result in?

• Knowledge
• Skills
• Attitudes

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Impact on learning

• Personal
• Professional
• Educational

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Other issues

• Programme
• Politics
• Personal

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Changes after year 1

• Comments about assessment fed back to programme
  teams
• How we give students information
• Review of shared competences
• Review of SLVT
• Review of portfolios
• IPL days with physiotherapy, podiatry, dietetics
  on portfolios as a method of practice assessment

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Selected References

• Calman,L. Watson,R.et al (2002) Assessing
  practice of student nurses methods, preparation
  of assessors and students views Journal of
  Advanced Nursing 38(5) 516-523
• Crossley, J. Humphris, G.et al (2002) Assessing
  health professionals Medical Education 36(9)
  800-804
• Ritchie,J. Spencer,L. (1984) Qualitative data
  analysis for applied policy research. In Bryman,
  A. Burgess,R.G (eds) Analyzing Qualitative data
  London Routledge