Rethinking Assessment of Student Clinician Learning: A Collaborative Faculty Effort

Abstract

Purpose This article describes a collaborative clinical faculty effort to develop and pilot observation-based formative assessment tools for faculty use during clinical supervision. The purposes of the pilot project were to create the tools and to evaluate faculty perceptions of developing and using the assessment tools. Method Data were collected using a rating scale, a focus group, and a questionnaire. Two formative assessment tools were designed following qualitative data analysis, and faculty subsequently piloted the tools in the clinic. Results Three clinical faculty who piloted the tools reported positive feedback regarding the tool development and implementation processes. Overall, clinical faculty perceived that the assessment tools improved their formative feedback to students. Conclusion Limitations, future directions, and implications are presented with recommendations for investigations in other settings.