Types of educational evaluation tools

There are numerous types of evaluation tools that a nurse educator can use in order to establish whether the set learning goals and objectives have been achieved. For example, the nurse educator can use a concept map, which encompasses a visual representation diagram that has hierarchical nodes which have been labelled with concepts. Precisely, the hierarchical nodes tend to be linked together with directional lines, and are organized from general to specific. This tool is important in that it enables the educator to assess how well the students can contemplate the big picture from various concepts that they have learnt. In addition, this evaluation tool provides educators with diagnostic pre-assessment before starting a formative and unit assessments (Carleton College, 2018). Educators also use portfolios as one of the evaluation tools, and it entails long term documentation of the student`s mastery of course material. Despite the fact that the aspect of long term change in students` metacognition and content knowledge may not be marked when portfolios are embraced, the process of developing this tool helps in assessing what students have gathered and their essential elements of learning.

Additionally, educators use performance rubric as an evaluation tool. A rubric is a written document that details not only the expectations of what learners need to know, bur also what they should do in order to attain a given grade (Brookhart, 2013). Educators also use a checklist, which entails an assessment guideline showing behaviors, skills, or characteristics that the educator can use as a guide and record as he or she observes students performing various educational tasks. Likert scales can also be used in student evaluation processes, and it is a point scale that offers a range of answer options from one end to another. It is one of the most reliable methods of assessing behaviors, perceptions, and opinions.

Analytic and Holistic Rubrics

A rubric is a document that contains a coherent set of procedures and descriptions of levels of quality performance that learners can adhere to in order to attain a given learning objective. Rubrics are usually classified by two different aspects of their composition. The first aspect entails whether the rubric assesses one aspect at a time or all aspects at a go. The second aspect is whether the rubric is general or task specific. In the first aspect, there are two types of rubrics, which are analytic and holistic. For analytic rubrics, each criterion is evaluated separately, and this makes it necessary to be used when the educator wants to gather diagnostic information, provide formative feedback to the students, as well as he or she intends to assess how well the learners have understood each and every concept (Brookhart, 2013). For holistic rubrics, all criteria are evaluated simultaneously, and this makes it better to be used during summative assessments.

The advantages and challenges of using rubrics for evaluation

There are numerous advantages and challenges of using rubric as an evaluation tool. For example, rubrics helps educators to teach by acting as a guiding principle in the teaching process. Precisely, rubrics helps educators to avoid confusing the activity or task with the learning goal. It enables educators to focus on the criteria rather than tasks (Brookhart, 2013). In addition, rubrics helps in coordinating instructions and assessments, especially due to the fact that it is designed for repeated use and on several tasks. Moreover, rubrics help students to learn especially by guiding them on the desired performance and what they are supposed to do in order to excel in each criterion of importance. On the other hand, rubrics fail to consider outside circumstances such as learning disability and effort of the student. Instead, rubrics focus more on the finished product (learning goal). In addition, preparation of rubrics requires much time and they can be too analytical especially for artistic projects. Precisely, it is impossible to grade intangible aspects such as inspiration, creativity, and personal history.

How rubrics and assignments measure learning

The rubrics provide information concerning the target that students should meet. The performance of each student is assessed against the set target in order to establish whether he or she has attained the target or not (Banta & Palomba, 2015). The target is the average performance or percentage students who manage to attain a given set score that the program considers to be a minimum threshold for success in accomplishing the learning outcome.

The value of calibrating raters on the use of rubrics to grade student work

The aspect of calibration or norming brings a group of educators together in order to enhance accuracy and consistence of results. The core objective of calibration is to ensure that a group of educators evaluates the work of each student consistently and in accordance with the scoring rubric. This process helps in enhancing the reliability of the assessment data (Rhode Island Department of Education & the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc., 2011). when a scoring rubric is calibrated, a piece of student`s work is given the same score regardless of the educator who have done the scoring, especially due to the fact that all scorers interpret and apply the rubric in the same manner. In addition, calibration also helps in deepening the level of educators` contemplation of expectations for student`s work in the rubric.

Piloting as an important step

In most cases, rubric development entails three core steps which are not limited to evaluation criteria, quality definitions, and piloting. Piloting is an important step especially due to the fact that it helps in ensuring that the developed rubric is accurate, consistent, and unbiased. Precisely, this step ensures that if several educators use the rubric, they would score performance within the same range. In addition, this step ensures that the criteria at each level are defined clearly and corresponds with the overall learning objectives.

The advantages and challenges of providing an evaluation tool to students before an assignment is due

There are numerous advantages and challenges that are associated with the aspect of providing students with an evaluation tool before the assignment is due. For example, students manage to learn what they are expected to do in order to cover all aspects stipulated in the rubric, and this enables them to perform better than when the evaluation tool is not provided. Precisely, the evaluation tool serves as a guide towards the attainment of the learning goal. On the other hand, providing students with an evaluation tool makes the students relax and focus only on the stipulated criteria rather than being broad and creative in their work. Precisely, if the evaluation tool is not provided before the assignment, the students can manage to read more broadly.

References

Brookhart S., (2013). How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading. Retrieved from, http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112001/chapters/What-Are-Rubrics-and-Why-Are-They-Important%C2%A2.aspx

Banta, T.W., & Palomba, C.A. (2015). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Carleton College, (2018). Assessment Tools. Retrieved from, https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html

Rhode Island Department of Education & the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc., (2011). Calibration Protocol for Scoring Student Work. Retrieved from, http://www.ride.ri.gov/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Teachers-and-Administrators-Excellent-Educators/Educator-Evaluation/OnlineModules/Calibration_Protocol_for_Scoring_Student_Work.pdf

2. SMART Objective

Effective collaborators of healthcare committed to improving best practices in health promotion, disease prevention, quality, safety and equality.

Assignment: Take-Away Assignment (Formative Assignment)

Read the case study below and answer all the attached questions

Bob is a 40-year old African American male. He considers himself healthy despite been diagnosed with hypertension. He spends most of his time relaxing in his apartment, taking fatty diets, and has been smoking for the last 12 years. He weighs 280 pounds, waist circumference is 52”, BMI is 35kg/m2, and a blood pressure of 150/90 mmhg.

Based on this case study, write a five-page essay that addresses each of the following questions.

1. Describe the risk factors for his behavior
2. Describe the pathogenesis of his health condition
3. Describe the role of a nurse in promotion his healthy behaviors.

Note: Include Introduction, conclusion, and a minimum of five references

 

Community Health Education Take-Away Assignment

Grading Rubric

Category	Exceptional	Effective	Acceptable	Developing	Points
Paper Contents	The student addresses all the questions, paper has introduction, conclusion, and references.	All questions have been addressed, the paper has introduction, conclusion but lacks references	Student has addressed all the questions but no introduction, conclusion and references	The student	10
Applying of health promotion knowledge	The student perfectly demonstrates application of knowledge on health promotion and supports it with evidence	The student perfectly demonstrates application of knowledge on health promotion and partially supports it with evidence	The student fairly demonstrates application of knowledge on health promotion but no evidence has been provided	The student has not demonstrated application of knowledge on health promotion, no evidence has been provided	20
Articulation of Response	Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization	Submission has some errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization	Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas	Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas	10