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Assessment can be formative or summative.

Formative assessment occurs throughout the placement.  It is designed to assist the student in understanding how they are progressing against the required competency standards to identify areas in which they require further development.  Mutually agreed upon strategies (between the student and the supervisor) are then put in place to support the student to meet the required standard by the end of the placement.  Formative assessment does not contribute to the students ‘grade’ or outcome from the placement unit.

Summative assessment typically occurs at the end of the placement.  It provides an evaluation of the student’s competence against the required standards and contributes to the student’s grade or outcome of the placement.

Beyond that, assessment on placement can be considered in two forms:

  1. Assessment of competence relating to a specific task or professional behaviour. This is assessed against the standard often using standard assessment forms provided by the university. 
  2. Assessment of learning where students complete supervisor-instructed tasks (e.g. in-service, case study presentation).  These tasks do not contribute to the student’s grade, and thus are not specifically designed to demonstrate competence; rather they are undertaken to promote student learning.

The table below provides examples of opportunities that can be used for formative and summative assessment of competence and learning:

 

Assessment criteria or competency

Activity

Profession specific skills and tasks
  • Observation of session with clients
    • with clients
    • in practical sessions with other students

Clinical reasoning: Combining and integrating knowledge, skills and attitudes
  • Observe the student’s planning, sequence and care of a client
  • Review the student’s client goals and the rationale for treatment
  • Ask the student to explain the reasoning process behind a decision
  • Review the student’s:
    • Written reports
    • Written intervention plans
    • Case notes
    • Letters to health professionals
  • Observe the student’s performance in case conferences
  • Request the student to provide a case presentation that involves demonstration of clinical reasoning

Knowledge
  • Ask the student direct questions to test their theoretical and foundational knowledge
  • Observe the way the student explains knowledge to the client.
  • Request the student to provide a case presentation that involves detailing their theoretical or foundational knowledge

Professional behaviour, communication and teamwork
  • Observe the student’s interaction with the client, yourself (as supervisor), other health professionals and support staff
  • Ask the student to complete reflections or self-assessments their communication skills and professional behaviour, and on teamwork
  • Observe the student’s behaviour in the student group
  • Observe the standard of the student’s uniform/dres
  • Take note of if the student arrives on time, takes appropriate breaks, and advises you if they are going to be late

Achieving positive outcomes for clients: safe and effective practice

 

 

                             
  • Observe the student’s performance when working with clients
  • Listen to comments made by clients or other health professionals about the student
  • Consider the amount of supervision that the student requires – compare the amount of supervision at the beginning, middle and at the end of placement

Work-readiness
  • Provide opportunities to increase student independence and observe how the student reacts
  • Increase time pressure/number of clients/complexity of clients, when the student has demonstrated competence and confidence with clients who have more simple presentations

 

References:

Please Note: References remain valid until superseded by later research. The resources referenced here are regularly reviewed and are considered current and relevant to the topics presented.

  • Liu, D., & Bridgeman, A. (2023) What to do about assessments if we can’t out-design our out-run AI. Assessment, Teaching tips 12 July, 2023.  https://educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/teaching@sydney/what-to-do-about-assessments-if-we-cant-out-design-or-out-run-ai/
  • Smith, M (2013). Assessment of Clinical Learning. In Clinical and Fieldwork Placement in the Health Professions. 2nd Ed. Stagnitti, Schoo & Welch (Eds). Oxford University Press: Melbourne.
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