Measuring Critical Thinking Skills in Nursing Students
Write a consolidative paper emphasizing the application of the concepts from the course as stated below. Students are required to engage in an original integrative summary of their comprehensive knowledge of and ability to apply the course materials.
ROLE OF ASSESSMENT IN INSTRUCTION
Explore the categories of assessment, assessment competency standards, assessment instruments, and the ethical responsibilities of nurse educators in the assessment process.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES AND TEST DEVELOPMENT
Criteria for writing effective learning objectives and the steps in test development.
SELECTED RESPONSE TEST FORMATS: MULTIPLE CHOICE, CRITICAL THINKING, TRUE-FALSE, MATCHING
Developing multiple choice (M-C), critical thinking MC, true-false and matching test items. Well-constructed and poorly constructed test items for each type of test are presented in the readings for week three.
Constructed Response Test Formats: Short Answer and Essay
Discuss advantages and disadvantages of using each type of test item format – short answer (completion) and essay in nursing education
Test Construction
The nurse educator role in preparing pre-licensure nursing students for the national NCLEX licensure exam; and the use of test banks and software for test development.
TEST INTERPRETATION
Discuss validity and reliability of tests, interpretation of item analysis reports for multiple choice tests and understanding how to use item analysis for improvement of test quality.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF CLINICAL COMPETENCE EVALUATION OF LEARNING IN ONLINE EDUCATION
Interrelatedness of course objectives with skills lab and clinical learning objectives and varied evaluation tools used to assess skills performance and clinical competence.
EVALUATION OF LEARNING IN ONLINE EDUCATION
Discuss methods used by nurse educators to evaluate outcomes of online learning.
The paper will include a minimum of the following outlined topics:
- Review of Literature or Evidence
- Theoretical Foundations (Nursing, Adult Learning Theory, Other Theoretical Frameworks)
- Tools in the Assessment and Evaluation of Learning
- Role of National Standards in the Assessment and Evaluation of Learning
- Issues Associated with Assessment and Evaluation of Education in Schools of Nursing
- Explore Issues Associated with the Assessment and Evaluation of Critical Thinking in Nursing Education
- Challenges and Opportunities
- Develop Plans for Evaluating Learning in a Variety of Settings
- Implications for Nursing Education
Measuring Critical Thinking in Nursing Students
Student’s Name
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Measuring Critical Thinking in Nursing Students
Introduction
The learner-centric method of teaching supports the fact that students should be active members of a classroom. In that regard, assessment activities are used in the classroom by teachers to gauge the acquisition levels of students (Tosuncuoglu, 2018). Education experts perceive assessment as a long-term procedure that entails information and data about the development of the students. Assessment and evaluation are essential components of teaching and learning activities. The two terms have very close definitions and are often used interchangeably. However, they differ from each other to some extent. While assessment tries to gauge students’ understanding, skills, and knowledge, evaluation determines whether the educational program has met its goals. According to Tosuncuoglu (2018), the assessment provides immediate feedback to instructors to orient their teaching practices according to the learning styles of their students. In that regard, the purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion about assessment and evaluation in nursing education.
Review of Literature or Evidence
There are several works of literature regarding assessment and evaluation in education. According to Tosuncuoglu (2018), Assessment and evaluation are the major parts of teaching and learning. The author tries to acknowledge the difference between assessment and evaluation in teaching and learning. Assessment is a general term that involves methods and techniques used to collect information regarding learners’ ability, motivation, and knowledge understanding (Tosuncuoglu, 2018). On the other hand, the author regards evaluation as the practice of collecting important information to identify whether the program meets its goals.
Similarly, Benton & Young (2018) suggests that assessment is the process of observing evidence of teaching behavior and drawing inferences regarding the abilities, on the other hand, evaluations entail judging how well a teacher has taught, as well as how to improve the program. The teacher decides on the method of assessment he/she wants to use. The assessment includes information and data about student understanding, awareness, perception, and attitude to learning. Assessments should answer the needs of students and are often central to teacher planning and testing. According to Chapman & Joines (2017), universities and colleges are facing a lot of pressure to assess educational outcomes.
End-of-course evaluation is one of the methods of assessing the effectiveness of teaching (SETs). Most student evaluations of teaching are now administered online. Potential advantages of performing student evaluations of teaching online include standardization across the institution, no loss of class time to perform student evaluations of teaching, and reductions in cost due to the absence of printing, distributing, and collecting results (Chapman & Joines, 2017). Furthermore, online SETs are associated with efficient getting of feedback from instructors and decreased errors for partially or improperly filled out forms. Tosuncuoglu (2018) suggests certain principles of assessment which include authenticity, reliability, validity, and the washback effect. Benton & Young (2018) refers to all these parameters as the worthiness of evidence. The authors reiterate that conducting evaluation or assessment without sufficient evidence is poor practice. Additionally, conducting assessment and evaluation without credible measures is not much better.
Theoretical Foundations (Nursing, Adult Learning Theory, Other Theoretical Frameworks)
Assessment and evaluation in nursing education or any other field are based on some theoretical framework. For example, Assessment and evaluation in nursing education may be based on both the learning theory used and the nursing theory (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). There are quite many learning theories that can be used in nursing education. The andragogy also referred to as adult learning theory was introduced by Malcolm Knowles in the 1970s. The theory suggests that adults need to know why they are learning, adults need to build on their experiences, they need to feel responsible for their learning, they need to solve immediate problems, and their training to be problem-focused (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). Assessment and evaluation ensure that all these requirements of learning are achieved.
Cognitivism is a learning theory that relies on both external factors (information or data) and internal thought processes. Here, learning is understood as the acquisition of knowledge. In cognitivism, the learner is the information processor who absorbs information, undertakes cognitive operations on it, and stores it in memory (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). This theory supports assessment and evaluation in learning and teaching in the sense that the teacher must assess whether or not the students acquired and processed the knowledge. Additionally, nursing theories can form the basis of assessment and evaluation. For example, the Jean Watson theory informs about the 10 carative factors, which every nursing student should understand and demonstrate (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). Assessment and evaluation help in gauging students’ knowledge acquisition in these areas.
Tools in the Assessment and Evaluation of Learning
There are numerous types of assessment and evaluation tools that are used in teaching and learning. The first one is a concept map, which is a diagram with hierarchical codes that visually represent relationships between concepts and ideas. The concept map strategy is a valid and reliable tool used in education areas to represent and assess the knowledge of learners in classes (Benton & Young, 2018). It is used both in the assessment and evaluation of learning. A knowledge survey is another learning assessment and evaluation tool. It consists of questions covering the full content of the course. The surveys are used to evaluate student learning and content mastery at all levels. It is used in both formative and summative assessments/evaluations (SERC, 2020). It is a valid tool used to help students learn, improve classrooms, and aid departmental programs that explore better curricula.
Exams are widely used in the assessment and evaluation of learning and teaching. It is the classic assessment tool used in nursing education. Exams may also be referred to as tests or quizzes (SERC, 2020). They are often used to evaluate the learning process and assess whether students are gaining the expected knowledge and skills. Tests are used to motivate students and help them structure their academic efforts. Teachers use exams to help them understand how well they are presenting the learning materials to the students. Oral presentations are often used in the learning assessment of students concerning individual and group research projects (SERC, 2020). Similarly, poster presentations are used during the assessment of students learning from student individual and group research projects and at scientific conferences. The last but not least tool is a concept test, often used in a lecture setting. Here, the teacher asks one or more questions during class and provided several possible answers. Students indicate the ones they think are correct. It is an assessment to gauge students’ knowledge.
Role of National Standards in the Assessment and Evaluation of Learning
Many countries around the world have introduced forms to enhance the quality of education, and standardization of assessment and evaluation is not an exception. National standardization of assessment and evaluations in learning is an efficient way of establishing a common framework that focuses on skills and competence deemed important (Huber & Skedsmo, 2017). It allows a comparison of educational quality across counties and states nationwide. Standardization provides a set of clear and measurable goals, that inform educators about the outcomes of a course and what students should study. By allowing for comparison across the country, teachers get to understand the efforts they have put in place and whether they need to adjust (Huber & Skedsmo, 2017). Therefore, it provides a basis for increased comparability across schools within the state and educational quality benchmarking.
Issues Associated with Assessment and Evaluation of Education in Schools of Nursing
Assessment and evaluation is a fundamental practice of education in nursing schools. According to Huber & Skedsmo (2017). assessment and evaluation ensure accountability for the quality of education that nursing students receive. They involve collecting information to make decisions about nursing students, and programs. Tests are the most frequently used method of assessment in nursing schools. Tests are important because they inform whether the curriculum or methods of teaching are efficient. They also indicate gaps in learning and performance that should be addressed first. When nursing instructors are working with large groups of students, it might be hard to meet the need of every student (Huber & Skedsmo, 2017). Therefore, diagnostic quizzes and tests are often used in nursing education to identify specific content areas where every student may lack knowledge. Both formative and summative evaluation strategies are used in nursing education (Huber & Skedsmo, 2017). Nursing Students in the US must sit for the National Council Licensure Examinations, the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN at the end of the course.
Explore Issues Associated with the Assessment and Evaluation of Critical Thinking in Nursing Education
The National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC) defines critical thinking as the deliberate nonlinear process of collecting, interpreting, analyzing, drawing conclusions about, presenting, and evaluating information that is both factually and belief based” (Tatum, 2019). Critical thinking in nursing schools is evaluated and assessed through clinical judgments. Critical thinking is gauged based on the student’s ability to apply knowledge and experience to identify patient’s problems and direct clinical judgment by weighing evidence, selecting from alternatives, questioning evidence, and others. Assessment and evaluation focus on students’ ability to interpret results and provide accurate treatments (Tatum, 2019). Critical thinking skills are essential to improve safe and quality health care. Anyone can develop critical skills by practicing, nurturing, and reinforcing them over time.
Challenges and Opportunities
Assessment and evaluation in teaching and learning have both challenges and opportunities. Assessment and evaluation provide teachers with the opportunity to understand the effectiveness of the curriculum or learning program (Benton & Young, 2018). Also, it provides teachers with the information to gauge the skills, competencies, and knowledge acquisition of students. Administrators and faculty committees use evaluation evidence to decide whether to select certain teachers for an award, whether to retain or promote them and how to assign merit-based pay increases. Assessments allow students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom into practice (Tatum, 2019). It also allows them to remember what students have learned and improve critical thinking in the area of learning.
There are some challenges in the assessment and evaluation of learning. For instance, standardized assessment and evaluation practices disregard contextual factors such as organizational, local, or regional educational factors (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). Students taking assessments online may experience technical issues affecting their grades. Also, nursing students tend to read a large volume of work while assessment comes from a small section of their work (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). Some of these challenges may not be addressed because they are part and parcel of the educational system.
Develop Plans for Evaluating Learning in a Variety of Settings
The plan for evaluating learning in a variety of settings involves four steps, such as planning, design, development, and implementation. In the planning stage, the educator gathers data and assessment activities that will be used in the subsequent stages (Tatum, 2019). The evaluation mission statements are developed at this stage. The second stage designs involve the creation of a general structure for subsequent stages. Various activities take place during this time, including establishing a time frame, setting priorities, specifying desired to learn outcomes and competencies, and deciding on the type of data to collect (Tatum, 2019). Phase four is the development stage where the actual learning activities are developed and matched to the learning competencies/outcomes. It involves establishing tests and measures of competencies/outcomes. The learning outcomes/competencies that the students require are assessed (Tatum, 2019). The last but not least step is implementation, whereby, the students as subjected to such kind of evaluation plan.
Implications for Nursing Education
Assessment and evaluation have significant impacts on nursing education. Assessment is important in nursing education to help educators evaluate competencies and clinical performance, and obtain information regarding student learning (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). It also improves the decision-making of students. Assessment and evaluation help to monitor and improve the quality of education nursing students are provided with (Oermann & Gaberson, 2021). By evaluating outcomes achieved by students, graduates, and patients, the effectiveness of programs can be measured and decisions can be made about needed improvements.
Conclusion
Student-cantered learning requires learners to be active members of a classroom. Students are expected to achieve some levels of knowledge after the completion of any course. Additionally, learning programs should meet specific objectives. To understand whether these requirements are met, assessment and evaluation in learning must be conducted properly. Assessment and evaluation in learning are supported by theories such as andragogy, cognitivism, and nursing Jean Watson theory among others. Some of the tools for assessment and evaluation include concept maps, knowledge surveys, exams, and others. This paper addressed all the topics provided for the completion of the assignment.
References
Benton, S. L., & Young, S. (2018). Best Practices in the Evaluation of Teaching. IDEA Paper# 69. IDEA Center, Inc. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED588352.pdf
Chapman, D. D., & Joines, J. A. (2017). Strategies for Increasing Response Rates for Online End-of-Course Evaluations. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(1), 47-60. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1136018.pdf
Huber, S. G., & Skedsmo, G. (2017). Standardization and assessment practices. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 29(1), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-017-9257-1\
Oermann, M. H., & Gaberson, K. B. (2021). Evaluation and testing in nursing education. Springer Publishing Company.
SERC. (2020). Understanding What Our Geoscience Students Are Learning: Observing and Assessing. https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html
Tatum, B. C. (2019). Developing and evaluating educational programs. In The Essence of Academic Performance. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89574
Tosuncuoglu, I. (2018). Importance of Assessment in ELT. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(9), 163-167. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i9.3443