1- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. 2-Education Development Center (EDC), Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. 3-Department of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. , M.abdi252@yahoo.com
Abstract: (31 Views)
Assessment is one of the fundamental pillars of medical education, but the terminology involved is a source of confusion to many clinical educators. Concepts such as assessment vs. evaluation, formative vs. summative, competence vs. competency, and skill vs. micro-skill are all commonly confused, resulting in suboptimally designed assessment tools and erroneous conclusions drawn from these tools. This educational primer focuses on basic assessment concepts for clinical teachers and is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of all available assessment tools. Rather, it provides a conceptual overview of essential assessment concepts for clinical educators. It starts by defining important differentiations, such as that between assessment (learner-centered) and evaluation (program-focused). Miller's pyramid and Van der Vleuten's utility equation are introduced as theoretical models in the selection of appropriate assessment tools. Tools are categorized according to each level in the pyramid, such as using written examinations for knowledge assessments, and Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX), Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS), and others for workplace-based clinical performance assessments. The primer then clarifies confusing concepts related to competence, such as distinguishing between skill (one aspect of a person's repertoire of abilities) and competency (the comprehensive combination of several skills). Lastly, this article explains Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and the concept of decision making regarding entrustment, which connect competence concepts with the activities in the field of clinical medicine. This conceptual model allows educators in the medical field to create a unified approach to assessing students and thus create competent physicians.
Keywords: assessment, evaluation, competency, competence, skill, micro-skill, entrustable professional activities, EPA, education, medical
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |