2 to 1 placements were positively evaluated by students and educators when supported by a structured supervision model. Clear guidance to students on the provision of peer feedback and support for educators providing feedback to two different students is recommended.

Performance-based assessment evaluates a health professional student's performance as they integrate their knowledge and skills into clinical practice. Performance-based assessment grades, however, are reported to be highly variable due to the complexity of decision-making in the clinical environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a training workshop based on frame-of-reference principles on grading of student performance by physiotherapy practice educators. This was a prospective cross-sectional study which used a single group pre-test, post-test design. Fifty-three practice educators rated two video vignettes depicting a poor and very good student performance, using a subsection of a physiotherapy performance-based assessment tool before and after training. Overall, results showed that participants amended their scores on approximately half of all scoring occasions following training, with the majority decreasing the scores awarded. This impacted positively on scoring for the poor performance video, bringing scores more in line with the true score. This study provides evidence of the benefit of a training workshop to influence decision-making in performance-based assessment as part of a wider education program for practice educators.

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PurposeWork-based placements are central to the university education of allied health and social work (AHSW) students. As a result of COVID-19, the clinical learning environment of students' work-based placements was dramatically altered resulting in numerous documented challenges. This inter-disciplinary study aimed to evaluate AHSW students' perceptions and experiences of completing a diverse range of work-based placements during COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachThis study was a mixed-method inter-disciplinary study using an anonymous online survey consisting of multiple choice, Likert scale and free text questions. Mixed-methods design supported amalgamation of insights from positivism and interpretivism perspectives and enabled research questions to be answered with both breadth and depth. 436 students were invited to participate who were enrolled in five AHSW educational university programmes: speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiation therapy and social work. Data collected was analysed using both quantitative (descriptive and analytical statistics) and qualitative (thematic analysis) methods.Findings118 students participated (response rate: 27%) representing a range of AHSW disciplines who attended diverse placement settings. While there was extensive disruption in the learning environment leading to increased levels of stress and concern, a triad of individual and systemic supports helped to ensure positive work-based placement experiences and student success for the majority of AHSW students during COVID-19: (1) university preparation and communication; (2) placement site and supervisor support; and (3) students' resilience and capacity to adapt to a changed work-place environment.Originality/valueThis inter-disciplinary study reports the work-based placement experiences from the professional education programmes of healthcare students during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving a unique view of their perspectives and learning during this unprecedented crisis.