ERIC Number: EJ909719
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1947-380X
EISSN: N/A
Should Athletic Training Educators Utilize Grades When Evaluating Student Clinical Performance?
Scriber, Kent; Gray, Courtney; Millspaugh, Rose
Athletic Training Education Journal, v5 n3 p126-132 Jul-Sep 2010
Objective: To explore and address some of the challenges for assessing, interpreting, and grading athletic training students' clinical performance and to suggest athletic training educators consider using a more universal assessment method for professional consistency. Background: In years past students learned from teachers or mentors on an individualized basis without receiving a grade for their performance. Grading began primarily from a need to teach and evaluate more students at one time. Over the past two centuries, grading has become a complex process that serves multiple roles including evaluation of learning, skill development, motivation, communication abilities, organizational skills and behaviors. Description: Currently there are many ways to evaluate and grade students in clinical education courses. When evaluators use inconsistent assessment techniques and a grade is not measuring the same criteria, the validity of a grade becomes questionable. Consequently, feedback from a universal assessment instrument may be more meaningful. Clinical Advantages: Clinical instructors in athletic training education programs who assess and grade student clinical performance should measure similar criteria. Currently most educators express measurement of these criteria with a single letter grade. Consideration for a more reliable and valid instrument that includes more information should be given. Conclusion: A universal system of assessing clinical performance would present more accurate and consistent information than a single grade indicates. Athletic training educators are encouraged to consider re-evaluating how they assess clinical performance of students and what a single grade actually communicates to the student and others. (Contains 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Feedback (Response), Evaluators, Athletics, Criteria, Grading, Clinical Experience, Clinical Teaching (Health Professions), Training, Evaluation, Teachers, Mentors, Academic Achievement, Medical Schools, Tests, Scores, Grade Point Average, Scoring Rubrics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A