Continuous workplace-based assessment as an indication of clinical competence in paediatric dentistry
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Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Network for Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
An authentic workplace setting provides the ideal opportunity for assessment of students’ clinical competence at the ‘does’ level of performance.
Final-year dental students in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the
University of the Western Cape are evaluated in the clinical environment
on a daily basis through multiple clinical evaluations which assess clinical and diagnostic skills over a year. An additional end-of-module clinical
assessment in the form of a single blinded patient case (BPC) determines if
students have reached the expected level of clinical competence in terms of
patient evaluation and diagnosis. However, the reliability and feasibility of
this single end-of-module clinical case have been questioned in this setting.
This study aimed to determine if the current continuous workplace-based
assessment (WPBA) results could be used as an indication of final-year
students’ clinical competence at the end of the module. A retrospective,
quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted of all complete assessment records. The correlation between the continuous WPBA components
was analysed together with an evaluation of the reliability and validity of the
assessment results. The continuous formative WPBA practices were found
to be both valid and reliable when using Kane’s (2013) and Royal’s (2017)
frameworks for analysis. However, the BPC should be reconsidered due to
feasibility and reliability concerns.
Key words: Dental education, Paediatric Dentistry, clinical skills, workplace,
summative, formative, continuous assessment
Description
Keywords
Dentistry, Education, Higher education, Paediatric dentistry, Workplace, Clinical skill, Workplace assessment, Students, University of the Western Cape
Citation
Mohamed, N., & Smit, L. (2021). Continuous Workplace-based Assessment as an Indication of Clinical Competence in Paediatric Dentistry. International Journal of African Higher Education, 8(3), 122-143. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v8i3.14165