C921 Task 2: Assessment & Evaluation Strategies for Student Learning
B1. How does each item in this assessment align with at least one Course Objective (CO) or Student Learning Outcome (SLO)?
Each assessment question is thoughtfully designed to assess student competence in specific Course Objectives (COs) and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) related to community health nursing. This alignment guarantees that the assessment accurately measures students’ understanding, clinical reasoning, and practical application of key concepts within community health contexts.
| Question Number | Alignment to CO or SLO | Explanation of Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course Objective 1: Demonstrate the role of a community health nurse | Assesses knowledge about the nurse’s responsibility in educating patients on advance directives and end-of-life care planning. |
| 2 | Course Objective 2: Analyze the impact of social determinants on community health | Evaluates understanding of patient rights in emergencies, focusing on legal frameworks like the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). |
| 3 | Course Objective 1 | Tests comprehension of nursing roles in home health versus hospice care, central to community-based nursing. |
| 4 | Course Objective 1 | Examines eligibility criteria for hospice care, highlighting clinical decision-making. |
| 5 | Course Objective 1 | Reinforces nurse’s educational role during hospice care transitions and eligibility assessment. |
| 6 | Student Learning Outcome 1: Identify vulnerable populations within the community | Measures ability to identify populations at higher risk due to socio-economic or health-related vulnerabilities. |
| 7 | Course Objective 2 | Focuses on ethical and legal accountability under EMTALA, reinforcing nursing advocacy. |
| 8 | Student Learning Outcome 1 | Concentrates on defining and recognizing vulnerability within diverse communities. |
| 9 | Course Objective 2 | Assesses knowledge of social determinants like income, education, and housing affecting health. |
| 10 | Student Learning Outcome 2: Describe vulnerable population needs | Evaluates ethical responsibilities and strategies for protecting vulnerable groups. |
Collectively, these aligned questions provide a comprehensive evaluation of the essential competencies needed for effective community health nursing practice.
B2. How will assessment results, including constructive feedback, be communicated to students?
Students will receive their assessment results through the institution’s secure student learning portal within one hour of completing the assessment. An automated email notification will alert students when their grades are available and encourage them to contact the instructor for further explanation or academic support.
Additionally, the next face-to-face class session will allocate the first 15 minutes to a structured review of assessment questions and explanations. This review session allows students to resolve misunderstandings, reinforce correct clinical reasoning, and engage in reflective discussions to deepen learning.
Pass/Fail Criteria:
Students must achieve a minimum score of 70%, correctly answering at least 7 out of 10 questions. This benchmark aligns with institutional policies requiring a minimum grade of C for course progression and successful completion.
B3. What assessment theory, concept, or principle guided the design of this assessment?
This assessment is grounded in Cognitive Learning Theory, which highlights the importance of integrating new information with existing knowledge through active processing (Billings & Halstead, 2020). This theory supports meaningful learning by encouraging students to build on their prior experiences to understand complex concepts deeply.
The assessment promotes higher-order thinking by engaging students in analysis of clinical scenarios, interpretation of ethical and legal issues, and practical application of theoretical knowledge. Realistic nursing contexts and reflective components foster the synthesis of theory and practice, essential for cultivating critical thinking and clinical judgment skills required in professional nursing.
B4. What procedures will ensure test security for this assessment?
Maintaining test security involves multiple layers of preventive, monitoring, and responsive measures to protect the assessment’s integrity:
Prevention: Access to the test is restricted until the scheduled time via a secure platform. A unique access code is provided at the test start to prevent unauthorized entry. Despite the test being open-book, the time constraints limit opportunities for extensive searching.
Detection: Automated software monitors for any attempt to exit the testing environment. Such attempts trigger immediate alerts and lock the assessment.
Response: Any student caught engaging in academic dishonesty will fail the assessment automatically and face possible disciplinary actions per institutional policies and administrative procedures.
B5. What potential barrier could arise in an online testing environment, and how does the assessment design address it?
A common challenge in online testing is unreliable internet connectivity, which can interrupt access to the test platform and affect performance. To counter this, students receive detailed technical instructions and contact information for institutional IT support before the assessment.
The instructor remains available during the testing period to help resolve immediate issues. Moreover, the relatively short assessment length reduces the risk that brief connectivity problems will significantly affect students’ ability to complete the test.
B6. What analytical methods and statistics will be used to evaluate assessment results?
The assessment results will be evaluated using psychometric techniques to ensure quality and effectiveness (McDonald, 2018):
Item Difficulty (p-value): Ranges from 0.00 to 1.00, with ideal values between 0.30 and 0.70 to ensure questions are appropriately challenging.
Item Discrimination (Point Biserial Index, PBI): Ranges from -1.00 to +1.00; higher positive values indicate better discrimination between high- and low-performing students.
Test Reliability: Assessed via the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20), where coefficients above 0.70 reflect consistent measurement of student learning, especially suitable for tests scored dichotomously.
These methods provide objective insights to guide instructional improvements.
B7. What factors might contribute to poor assessment outcomes such as low pass rates, low item discrimination, or low test reliability?
Several issues can negatively affect assessment outcomes:
Low Pass Rates: Often due to unclear or ambiguous questions that confuse even well-prepared students (McDonald, 2018).
Low Item Discrimination: Results from questions being too easy or too difficult, failing to distinguish between different student performance levels.
Low Test Reliability: May arise from poor alignment between test items and course content, overly lengthy tests, or inclusion of many extreme difficulty questions.
Addressing these concerns is critical to preserving assessment validity and fairness.
B8. What is the improvement plan based on assessment results?
A structured improvement plan incorporates both immediate and long-term actions to enhance assessment quality:
| Aspect | Short-Term Actions | Long-Term Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Item Discrimination | Revise or remove ineffective items; offer bonus opportunities if needed | Establish regular peer and departmental item review using analysis data |
| Test Reliability | Remove inconsistent or flawed questions | Perform periodic alignment reviews with COs and SLOs |
| Item Difficulty | Adjust or eliminate items that are too easy or hard | Conduct ongoing pre-test analyses and refinements |
Continuous peer reviews and analytic evaluations are key to ensuring assessments remain rigorous, fair, and aligned with learning goals.
B9. How can objective assessment results improve teaching strategies and student learning?
Objective analysis of assessment data enables nurse educators to identify both strengths and areas requiring improvement in instruction. Questions that effectively discriminate and have appropriate difficulty are retained, while underperforming items are modified or eliminated.
Such data informs instructional adjustments including pacing, content focus, and teaching method selection. Considering diverse student needs—such as language proficiency, learning styles, and technology access—promotes inclusivity and equity.
Assessment outcomes also support integration of formative assessments, interactive discussions, and experiential learning activities, fostering deeper engagement and helping students achieve course objectives more effectively.
References
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2020). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed.). Elsevier.
McDonald, M. E. (2018). The nurse educator’s guide to assessing learning outcomes (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Halstead, J. A. (2020). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty. Elsevier.