Score Evaluation In Nursing Education
What Is Score Evaluation In Nursing Education
Evaluation
is a multidimensional process of gathering data to inform judgment as to the
value of something or someone. Specific to students, the evaluation process is
most often related to either an assignment of grades based on a student’s
performance or the identification of gaps in student understanding, allowing
for improvement. The teacher assesses the student’s knowledge or achievement of
specified objectives, determines the proportional value, and provides essential
feedback for development.
Implementations of Score Evaluation In Nursing Education
In
nursing education, evaluation of students is complex. Students must be
evaluated in the classroom and the clinical setting. Evaluation of theory is
typically composed of the accumulation of points for assignments and tests,
allowing a more objective determination of grade ( Oermann & Gaberson ,
2014) Clinical performance has historically been evaluated solely by the
observation of the student in the clinical setting. The instructor must then
use these observations to make judgments on the abilities of the student. Based
on the subjectivity of this type of clinical evaluation, there are concerns
related to the reliability of the assessment.
Evaluation
in nursing education is most often categorized as formative or summative
evaluation ( Vonderwell & Boboc , 2013). Summative evaluation is the
process where value judgments are made based on the student’s performance or
achievement of objectives. It is often more of a static depiction of student performance.
Formative evaluation is the dynamic view of a student’s progress during the
educational process. Based on the formative evaluation, the instructor can
identify areas of needed improvement in the student’s performance. This allows
the instructor to provide feedback with the goal of student improvement.
It
typically does not result in a grade, or points being given. Instead, it allows
students to be informed of the gaps in their understanding or performance of
clinical skills ( Vonderwell & Boboc , 2013).Evaluation
must be well planned. It should be included in the design of nursing curricula.
There needs to be a clear identification of what the evaluation is for, who
should be involved in conducting the evaluation, and how it is to be performed.
If the students are identified as the primary stakeholders, it must be
determined how they will use the evaluation information (Murdoch University,
1999). There should also be clearly defined learning outcomes in place so that
the evaluator can determine if there has been a change in behavior or
knowledge.
Nursing Research About Students Score Evaluation
A
review of the recent literature shows a lack of research over the last 5 to 7
years devoted to evaluation of students in nursing education. Hunt and
Hutchings (2014) identified the need for development of improved methods of
evaluation in nursing education. Corrigan and Hardham (2011) recommended use of
more innovative methods for evaluation of students and, based on their study,
advocated use of student self-evaluation in the learning process. It is
expected that by development of self-evaluation, we are not only enhancing
students’ ability to critically analyze their performance, but we are assisting
the students in developing habits that will improve practice.
In their study of
online learning, Vonder well and Boboc (2013) identified a number of strategies
related to enhancing conventional evaluation methods to support teaching and
learning. They identified a need for a partnership between the student and
instructor in the online learning environment to ensure that students are
meeting the educational goals.Clinical
evaluation also presents challenges in nursing education. Across multiple
disciplines in a variety of health care settings, the reliability of assessment
has been questioned (Hawker & Walker, 2010). Hawker and Walker (2010)
indicated that there needs to be a more objective system in place to ensure
that evaluation in the clinical setting is reliable.
They discussed the use of
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a method of clinical
evaluation. Han, James, and McClain (2013) recommended use of student peer
evaluation in the clinical setting to enhance both formative and summative
valuation. All of these researchers concur that little research is available
regarding clinical evaluation (Hall, 2013; Han, James, & McClain, 2013;
Hawker & Walker, 2010). Hall (2013) asserted that even though the majority
of student time in undergraduate nursing education is spent in the clinical
setting, little is really known in regard to how this evaluation occurs.
Students in the United States do not perform any clinical examination for entry
into practice, so the progression of students through a program and into the
work force relies heavily on the clinical instructors’ skills in evaluation.There
is a lack of research on the evaluation of students in nursing education.
Evaluation is a critical element in the educational process as it provides the
information necessary for improving instructional design, narrowing the gap in
student understanding, and facilitating the development of a competent nursing
workforce in our health care system.