An application of Kane's framework to develop a validity argument for a clinical placement assessment tool
Conference Contribution ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
Background: Valid assessment of performance in the complex, unstandardized environment of the clinical placement setting is challenging. Our objective here within is to present what we've learned so far in using Kane's framework to develop a validity argument for using assessment outcomes from a workplace based assessment tool to make valid judgements of a student's progress towards being ready to enter practice. Summary of Work: The assessment tool has been designed for use in the profession of clinical exercise physiology, a role emerging, allied health profession in Australia in which semi-autonomous practice is required on graduation. In building the validity argument, a network of inferences and assumptions leading from observed performances to decisions about these performances has been established and regularly updated as the tool has developed. Validity evidence has been collected along the way and will continue to be collected as the assessment tool moves through future phases of pilot testing and implementation. Summary of Results: Several lessons have been learned thus far from our experiences with interpreting and using Kane's framework. These include that the interpretive-use argument (IUA) constantly evolves as new assumptions come to light; that the two parts of the framework tend to overlap, i.e. what might be put forward as validity evidence might be required to argue the IUA, and; although the literature commonly refers to four inferences (scoring, generalisation, extrapolation, utilisation), other types of inferences may be useful if they better fit the interpretation and use of the assessment. Take home message: A different approach to all aspects of Kane's framework - the inferences in the chain, the assumptions, the types of evidence - may be required when the assessment is designed for use in a complex environment such as the clinical workplace. Although this work is still in progress, the example presented will provide ideas for how to structure an IUA and the types of evidence that may contribute to the validity argument for the use of an assessment tool designed to make judgments of student performance in a clinical placement setting.
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Ottawa 2020: Assessment of health professionals and evaluation of programmes: best practice and future development
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1
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Ottawa Conferences
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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