Learning Approaches and Authentic Assessment
For this module, we were asked to come up with a learning scenario and teaching strategy that involved any or multiple of the following: experiential learning, project-based learning, and gamification.
Scenario description: Physician assistant students need to make evidence-based decisions in the clinic. Not only do they have to be adept at finding information specific to their patient and the scenario at hand, they also have to do so quickly and appraise the quality of the information they find. The library has a 90 minute session to teach this process.
Thinking about learning models, one approach to this session could draw from both project-based learning and gamification. Instead of lecturing about the critical appraisal process, students could be presented with some basic information and then given a set of articles and critical appraisal worksheets. In groups, they’d have to figure out what each field means and where to find it in the articles they’ve been given. Given a patient case, they’d have to argue at the end which article answers the question and why. The elements of gamification here manifest in making it a little competitive - incentivizing the group with the quickest and best work with library tote bags and bragging rights as a prize.
Authentic assessment: We would give them a clinical scenario written by their practicing health professional faculty member. The patient case would be authentic and relevant to current course material instead of just to demonstrate the process. Since, on the floor, students will be expected to find evidence-based information quickly and appraise its quality, the completion of a critical appraisal worksheet and our subsequent evaluation of what they write is as authentic as we can get without a real patient and a visit to the hospital ward.
Connections to learning theories: I see a lot of andragogy here in that this setup respects their experience and autonomy, is immediately applicable to their careers, and relies on students for the learning experience instead of the instructor. There is also some constructivism in that previous sessions taught searching the literature and this session builds on that base of knowledge. Finally, as with any gamification learning experience, there is a little bit of behaviorism since we are expecting specific outputs for specific inputs.
To learn more:
Thurab-Nkhosi, D., Williams, G., & Mason-Roberts, M. (2018). Achieving confidence in competencies through authentic assessment. Journal of Management Development, 37(8), 652-662. doi: 10.1108/JMD-12-2017-0413