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Beyond summative assessment of clinical performance in paramedic science
Conference presentation

Beyond summative assessment of clinical performance in paramedic science

Nigel Barr, Peter K Dunn and Kylie Readman
2011 Learning & Teaching Week Program and Abstracts Book, p.24
Learning & Teaching Week, 2011 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 19-Sep-2011–23-Sep-2011)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2011
url
https://www.usc.edu.au/View
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Abstract

Specialist Studies in Education Nursing Public Health and Health Services paramedic science programs Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
Paramedic programs present significant challenges in the authentic assessment of clinical performance. Allowing paramedic students to work with autonomy in authentic contexts is a major resource burden on universities and ambulance service providers (Willis, Pointon and O'Meara, 2009) and represents considerable risk to patient safety. Thus simulation, including the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an assessment tool that is utilised frequently in tertiary programs. It is typically used summatively to measure acquisition of clinical skills, declarative knowledge and scene control. A pilot research project undertaken at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) examined the effects of introducing formative OSCE assessment on students' attainment of clinical skills and on their ability to critically reflect on their own practice and that of their peers. The project changed the OSCE from a stand-alone summative assessment to include formative strategies embedded in the curriculum (Alinier and Alinier, 2009; Biggs and Tang, 2009). These included the deconstruction and analysis of the OSCE assessment criteria prior to the task, peer and self assessment on formative OSCE opportunities and students' critical reflection on a video recording of their individual OSCE. The preliminary results indicate that students perceive the inclusion of a number of formative assessment strategies improved their engagement with the course learning outcomes and understanding of the OSCE assessment, required deeper understanding of clinical skills and developed desired attributes of paramedic practitioners through a focus on active assessment and learning. This research study is one of the first to report on using formative assessment to enhance the quality of the OSCE experience for students in paramedic science in the Australian context.

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