Capella University Nursing Evaluation Strategies Paper

Create a 1-2 page assessment description that includes the rationale for the chosen assessment strategy (Part One) and the related grading rubric (Part Two).

Introduction

Nurse educators need to be able to develop strategies within a course to evaluate the learners' competency with the material. Assessment is sometimes synonymous with evaluation. Nursing education deals with the process of documenting in a formal way that the student has acquired the knowledge, skills, attitudes, or beliefs. Rubrics are used in education to create a standardized way of evaluating performance.

Learning can take place in one of three domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. The nurse educator must take these into consideration when developing learning opportunities.

• The cognitive domain deals with scholarly activities such as critical thinking, decision making, and rational thought.
• The psychomotor domain is part of learning physical skills, such as placing an intravenous catheter or performing a sterile technique.
• The affective domain deals with attitudes, feelings, beliefs, and opinions, such as those related to health care.

Preparation

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

• Which classroom assessment techniques (CATs) can be applied to the clinical and classroom setting?
• How can the use of CAT in nursing education develop a deeper level of learning for the learner?
• What are examples of the psychomotor domain?
• What are examples of cognitive domain?
• What are examples of the affective domain?
• What are the key components of a rubric?
• How can a nurse educator use a rubric for evaluating the learning outcomes of a course?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of using rubrics in nursing education?

Select an assessment strategy for your learning objectives from Assessment 1. (Refer to feedback you received for Assessment 1.) What assignment would you give your learners, and how are you going to assess their performance?

• Select one or more of your stated learning objectives and identify the specific domains (cognitive, psychomotor, or affective) that could be used to assess a learner's demonstration of proficiency.
  • If the learning objective assesses the cognitive domain, what assessment tool would you use?
  • If the learning objective assesses the psychomotor domain, how will you test for proficiency?
  • If the learning objective assesses the affective domain, how will you know if the learner is proficient?
• Consider the various processes that can be used for determining the validity and reliability of an assessment.
  • Think about how we validate information—with faculty and student surveys, grades/student progression, or anecdotal comments.
• Determine how grading expectations can be communicated to learners.
  • Think in terms of how to explain the grading rubric, or a specific faculty expectation message from instructor to learner. This will help you create a description of the assessment.

The following resources are required to complete the assessment:

• Assessment Formatting Guidelines [DOCX].

Part One – Assessment Description and Rationale

The real-world deliverable is a single document intended to be given to your work supervisor. The purpose of this document is to achieve two things:

• An assessment description summarizes the big picture of the assessment and describes how a learner's performance of the learning outcomes will be evaluated.
• The rationale provides the evidence -based support for your chosen assessment strategy.

You must complete the following in Part One:

• Write a brief description of the assessment.
• Describe the type of assessment tool that will be used to assess the learning objectives.
• Support your assessment strategy with an explanation of the processes that could be used to determine the validity and reliability of the assessment strategies chosen.

Part Two – Create a Grading Rubric

Create a grading rubric for your new assessment using a table format. Refer to the Rubric Template [DOC].

Your rubric should clearly assess the learning objectives and have distinct levels of performance. For example, the scoring guides in your Capella assessments use the following performance levels.

• Non-performance.
• Basic.
• Proficient.
• Distinguished.

Note: Titles for performance levels can be whatever you deem appropriate to your specific learning environment. The four levels mentioned above are examples of possible performance-level language. You may use whatever terms fit the best in your setting.

Additional Requirements

Follow the Assessment Formatting Guidelines [DOCX]. In addition, your assessment should meet the following requirements:

• APA format: Use correct APA style and formatting, paying particular attention to citations and references.
• References: Include peer-reviewed scholarly resources from the last 5 years.
• Length: Assessment description and rationale should 1–2 double-spaced pages (not including cover page and reference list). Include grading rubric table in the same document.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

MUST MEET EACH CRITERIA BELOW:

-Provides a brief description of an assessment that will be used to evaluate specific learning outcomes, and clearly communicates how the assessment serves the needs of the learner.

–Explains the steps in assembling and administering tests for specific learning outcomes, and identifies knowledge gaps, unknowns, missing information, unanswered questions, or areas of uncertainty (where further information could improve the process).

-Assesses learning in multiple domains (for example, cognitive, psychomotor, and affective), and identifies knowledge gaps, unknowns, missing information, unanswered questions, or areas of uncertainty (where further information could improve the assessment).

–Creates performance-level criteria that are distinct and progress in a clear and logical order, and identifies assumptions on which the progression is based.

–Determines how grading expectations should be communicated to learners, and identifies criteria that could be used to help clarify that communication.

–Describes processes used for determining the validity and reliability of assessment strategies, and impartially assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the processes.

–Writes clearly and logically, with use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; and uses relevant evidence to support a central idea.