Discussion on Assessment Tools

Discussion on Assessment Tools

Permalink: https://collepals.com/discussion-on-assessment-tools/

Discussion: Assessment Tools

Do you believe assessment tools are a hindrance (user error, false positives), or do they enhance a clinician’s ability to diagnose correctly? To support your response, provide an example of an assessment tool, and describe the tool’s benefits and challenges.

Below are four resources to use for the discussion.

Article: Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care https://web.archive.org/web/20150225071221/http://healthteamworks-media.precis5.com/1ecfb463472ec9115b10c292ef8bc986

Article: Treatment of Maladaptive Aggression in Youth http://www.thereachinstitute.org/images/pdfs/T-MAY-final.pdf

Article: Mental Health Screening and Assessment Tools for Children: Literature Review https://web.archive.org/web/20130626210634/http://humanservices.ucdavis.edu/Academy/pdf/FINAL2MentalHealthLitReview.pdf

Website: Table of Screening Tools and Rating Scales https://web.archive.org/web/20160811113549/http://www2.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/screeningtools_table.as

Obvious in this diagram is that we begin the process by thinking about the purpose and context of the assessment event. We consider what it actually is that we want to assess, and become very clear in our own heads what it is that we need to see in order to make a good judgement about the standard of performance.

Once we have made our way through this design process, we will be able to make good decisions about the best way to collect evidence of someone’s performance; evidence that meets the principles of assessment and the rules of evidence.

• An assessment ‘tool’ is a complete set of documentation needed to assess at one (or more) Unit(s) of Competency. Each assessment tool must include 2 – 3 instruments that each support different methods of assessment (e.g. observation checklist and questioning). The tool will include the administration, recording and reporting requirements, and describe the context and conditions of assessment.
• An assessment ‘instrument’ is part of an assessment tool — it includes the checklists (or other ‘instruments’) and instructions needed to conduct one part of a competency-based assessment (e.g. written test with answer key, observation checklist, verbal questioning instrument, log book, etc). Each instrument will outline the evidence the candidates need to supply, and describe the evidence criteria used to judge the quality of performance.

Let’s look at an example

Within the Asset Maintenance Training Package are a number of Units of Competency. One of these is PRMCL11A – Spot clean external surfaces to remove all visible marks, from which the following excerpt comes. As with all assessment planning, we will begin by having a good look at the Elements and Performance Criteria.