Validating workplace-based assessments: continuity, synthesis and a qualitative heart

A Consensus Model: Shifting assessment practices in dietetics tertiary education

“…The variation in judgements between worksite educators and panel assessors is consistent with an interpretivist approach, that views assessor variance as alternative yet credible perspectives. By using a programmatic approach, that considers the students whole course of study, inconsistencies in assessment data can be explored .…”

“…Formative and summative assessment data was collected for all 29 Master of Nutrition and Dietetics students who participated in the pilot implementation from January to December 2016. Consistent with the constructivist–interpretivist approach to assessment, raw scores and descriptive statistics from the quantitative VAS ratings were used to identify if any variations in judgement were evident. The qualitative descriptions for each student, that informed the VAS ratings, were reported as qualitative summarises based on the outcomes of the Delphi process and panel discussion.…”

“…Research has shown assessors’ judgements to be complex, dynamic and highly variable, informed by assumptions and influenced by contextual factors . An alternative constructivist–interpretivist approach to assessment proposed by Govaerts and van der Vleuten is to consider the assessments of worksite educators as credible ‘interpretations’ of performance and for the ‘truth’ about a student's competence to be a defensible consensus judgement made by a panel of assessors based on a body of evidence …”

“…13,14 An alternative constructivist-interpretivist approach to assessment proposed by Govaerts and van der Vleuten 10 is to consider the assessments of worksite educators as credible 'interpretations' of performance and for the 'truth' about a student's competence to be a defensible consensus judgement made by a panel of assessors based on a body of evidence. 10,15,16 The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) Accreditation Standards of Dietetics Education Programs (Standard 5.2) requires the inclusion of a minimum of 100 days of professional placement providing experiences in Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), Food Service Systems (FSS) and Public Health Nutrition (PHN). 17 A national study 18 conducted in 2015, explored how dietetic students (post-placements) perceived the role of assessment in their development of competence.…”

Exploring subjectivity in competency‐based assessment judgements of assessors

“…A panel of experienced assessors judging multiple sources of evidence from a range of contexts over time can make a consensus decision to determine whether a student is ready for independent practice. Allowing assessors time to consider their ideas and responses before presenting them at a face‐to‐face meeting promotes careful in‐depth thinking while maintaining the benefits of anonymous ratings and is recommended instead of a ‘group think’ . Consideration must also be given to how the student's perspective is included in this consensus judgment.…”