The Group-based Assessment Approach in Nursing Education: The Perspective of Nursing Students on Group-based Assessment Process at a Namibian University

Abstract

Group-based assessments used in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (clinical) Honours programme at a public university in Namibia are usually in the form of assignments and projects. Completing tasks in groups helps students to develop important skills like critical thinking and debating. In addition, it prepares them to work in the health-care environment where collaboration with others is required. That said, nursing students lack cooperation during the process of completing their group assignments or projects. A classroom-based research was conducted using action research as the design. The objectives were to: explore what is causing lack of cooperation during group-based assessment as perceived by nursing students, and to propose, implement and evaluate measures to improve cooperation during group-based assessment task completion.Themes that emerged as factors contributing to a lack of cooperation are: student motivation, student personal characteristics, lack of planning to approach the allocated task, student learning approaches, communication-related issues, and group composition and allocation procedures. The proposed measures of students to ensure cooperation are: selection of group leaders, determining lecturer roles in facilitating group assessment, improving communication, and involvement of students in the allocation procedures of group members.All suggestions were successfully implemented. Evaluation of measures to ensure cooperation revealed that students appreciated the group-based approach strategy given its very positive impact on their learning.

The Impact of Group Testing as a Strategy on University ‎Students’ Writing Composition Development ‎

“…The findings proved that inclusion group testing in composition writing test had culminated significant positive outcome on enhancing the students' performance in composition writing. Findings supported by the results of the previous studies of Giuliodori et al (2008); Giuliodori et al, (2009) and Nuuyoma (2017) and proved that employing group testing was beneficial for enhancing students' performance. Therefore, the 1 st hypothesis will be accepted that there is a significant statistical difference effect on group testing as a strategy on enhancing the students' performance on writing composition.…”

“…Giuliodori, et al (2008) and Rao et al (2009) discovered that employing group testing was beneficial for enhancing students' performance. In addition, Nuuyoma (2017) indicated that "group-based assessment approach strategy had a very significant effect on learning nursing students as completing tasks in groups which helped students to develop important skills as critical thinking and debate." Geronimo and Rosales (2018) revealed that there were significant increases in the test scores of the students after having group testing in the four quizzes (problem solving) and two major examinations (multiple choice) in General Physics.…”

“…As far as, researchers' point of views, there was no research work yet achieved in Iraqi universities on group testing which is the use of two-stages examination in writing composition. Researches in Physics Education showed that group testing was a strategy for good formative assessment (Nuuyoma, 2017;Geronimo & Rosales, 2018).…”

“I’d Rather Do It Single-Handed”—Nursing Students’ Struggles with Group Assignments: A Qualitative Study

“…Group-based assignments are another TBL form used by many educational establishments, including nursing schools [13,14]. To perform the group assignments, the students in a class are divided into groups by the subject teachers or the students themselves.…”

“…A limited number of studies on teaming of nursing students showed nursing students' dislike of teamwork, mainly because of a lack of participation from team members [13,14,16]. Social-cultural influences on teamwork were noted.…”