C921 Task 1: Formative Assessment Community Health Quiz Guide

C921 Task 1: Formative Assessment Community Health Quiz Guide

Alignment of the Formative Assessment With Course Outcomes

The formative assessment in this course is designed as a structured questionnaire combined with multiple-choice discussion prompts. Its primary goal is to enhance students’ grasp of community health nursing, with a particular focus on vulnerable and underserved populations. Central to the assessment is the exploration of social determinants of health (SDOH), emphasizing how environmental, economic, and social factors shape health outcomes among at-risk groups. The assessment employs a case study discussion format, encouraging students to analyze real-world obstacles to healthcare access and develop evidence-based nursing interventions.

Each assessment element is carefully linked to the course objectives and student learning outcomes. This intentional alignment ensures that students progress beyond theoretical knowledge, applying community and population health nursing competencies in practical contexts. As Billings and Halstead (2020) note, formative assessments aligned with course goals deepen learning by connecting content to relevant professional skills, thereby fostering meaningful engagement and skill development necessary for nursing practice.

What Is the Purpose of the First Assessment Item?

The initial assessment item directs students to identify three critical barriers impeding healthcare access for individuals experiencing homelessness. This task aligns with the first course objective, which expects students to demonstrate an understanding of social determinants affecting vulnerable populations by the end of Week 3. It also supports Student Learning Outcome 1, which entails identifying vulnerable groups and explaining how SDOH impact their health status and access to care.

Students are encouraged to consider barriers such as unstable housing, lack of health insurance, limited transportation, social stigma, and fragmented healthcare services. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2024), social and economic factors like housing insecurity, poverty, and educational deficits significantly contribute to health disparities. Addressing this question helps students build a foundational understanding of systemic inequities affecting homeless populations at the community level.

How Does the Second Assessment Item Contribute to Learning?

The second item requires students to propose one evidence-based intervention targeting the barriers identified in the first question. This component is aligned with Course Objective 2, which emphasizes evaluating effective interventions for vulnerable groups by Week 4. It also supports Student Learning Outcome 2, focusing on developing practical strategies to mitigate healthcare disparities.

Students are guided to utilize public health frameworks and research-supported strategies such as mobile health clinics, community outreach initiatives, interprofessional collaboration, and policy advocacy. Healthy People 2030 (2023) stresses that successful interventions must address both individual needs and broader systemic obstacles to promote health equity. This task nurtures critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based decision-making, while also reinforcing essential nursing competencies like system-based practice and population health (AACN, 2021).

What Is Expected in the Third Assessment Item?

The third item involves students engaging with at least two peers’ discussion posts by offering constructive feedback and suggesting alternative or complementary interventions. This exercise is designed to develop reflective practice, professional communication, and collaborative learning—key skills in community and public health nursing.

Reviewing peer responses exposes students to diverse perspectives and problem-solving approaches. Ernstmeyer and Christman (2022) highlight that collaborative discussions enhance students’ ability to synthesize information and apply nursing knowledge across varied health scenarios. This activity promotes accountability, respectful discourse, and professional peer engagement, which are vital in healthcare teamwork.

Feedback Mechanisms and Their Role in Learning

Feedback plays a critical role in this formative assessment approach. Students receive prompt written feedback from both peers and instructors, enabling continuous learning and improvement. Peer feedback fosters self-reflection and collective learning by presenting alternative viewpoints on social determinants and intervention strategies.

Instructor feedback evaluates the accuracy of identified SDOH, the relevance and practicality of suggested interventions, and the depth of critical thinking shown in discussions. Automated notifications on the discussion board keep students informed about new feedback and replies. Furthermore, email communication and virtual office hours offer additional support for clarification and personalized guidance (Dennison et al., 2015). This comprehensive feedback system enhances students’ ability to apply community health concepts in real-world nursing contexts effectively.

Assessment Theory, Concepts, and Principles

This formative assessment is rooted in Bloom’s Taxonomy, Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory, and Constructivist Learning Theory. Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory underscores that adult learners are self-directed and benefit most from learning experiences connected to their professional roles (Billings & Halstead, 2020). The use of case-based discussions supports this by embedding learning in practical community health situations.

Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a cognitive framework guiding students through progressively complex thinking skills. Learners start by identifying healthcare barriers (understanding), move on to analyzing the effects of social determinants (analyzing), and finally apply their knowledge by proposing evidence-based solutions (applying). This sequence strengthens clinical judgment and critical thinking (Ernstmeyer & Christman, 2022).

Constructivist Learning Theory further supports the assessment design by emphasizing active knowledge construction through reflection and interaction. The discussion format encourages students to integrate previous experiences with new information, promoting authentic engagement with complex public health issues (Dennison et al., 2015).

Potential Barriers to Assessment Implementation

Despite its benefits, the online discussion-based formative assessment may encounter challenges. Student engagement might be inconsistent, or responses might be superficial, reducing the quality of collaborative learning. Additionally, peer feedback may lack depth if expectations are not clearly communicated.

To mitigate these issues, structured prompts, clear grading rubrics, and deadlines for initial and peer responses are implemented. Instructor monitoring and timely feedback help maintain accountability and encourage meaningful participation. Technological barriers are addressed by providing an online navigation guide, ensuring students can access and complete assessments effectively.

Alignment Summary Table

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Essentials

Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2020). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed.). Elsevier.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). Social determinants of health. https://www.cdc.gov/public-health-gateway/php/about/social-determinants-of-health.html

Dennison, R., Rosselli, J., & Dempsey, A. (2015). Evaluation beyond exams in nursing education: Designing assignments and evaluating with rubrics. Springer Publishing Company.

Ernstmeyer, K., & Christman, E. (Eds.). (2022). Nursing: Mental health and community concepts. Open RN. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590038

Healthy People 2030. (2023). Vulnerable populations and health equity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://health.gov/healthypeople