NCJ Number
56337
Journal
Evaluation and The Health Professions Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 101-109
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A STRATEGY FOR CRITERION-REFERENCED COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS IS PROPOSED.
Abstract
WHEREAS THE NORM-REFERENCED ACHIEVEMENT TEST COMPARES THE EXAMINEE'S PERFORMANCE WITH THE NORM FOR ALL PERSONS TAKING THE TEST, THE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST ASSESSES THE EXAMINEE'S STATUS WITH RESPECT TO WELL DEFINED BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS THE COMPETENCIES REQUIRED IN A GIVEN PROFESSION. THE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST SHOWS WHAT EACH EXAMINEE CAN AND CANNOT DO. THIS VASTLY SUPERIOR DESCRIPTIVE POWER MAKES THE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST APPEALING TO EDUCATIONAL EVALUATORS AND POINTS UP A PROBLEM THAT WAS PASSED OVER IN NORM-REFERENCED MEASUREMENT: THE CHOICE BETWEEN MEASURING A FEW THINGS WELL OR MANY THINGS BADLY. IF EVALUATORS TRY TO MEASURE ALL RELEVANT BEHAVIORS AND TO INCLUDE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TEST ITEMS FOR EACH MEASURED BEHAVIOR, THE TEST BECOMES UNWIELDY AND IMPRACTICAL. CLEARLY THE CHOICE IN CRITERION-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT MUST BE TO MEASURE THROUGHLY A FEW HIGHLY IMPORTANT BEHAVIORS. A LIMITED-FOCUS APPROACH, IN WHICH COMPETENCIES THAT SUBSUME A NUMBER OF RELATED SKILLS ARE ISOLATED FOR ASSESSMENT, MUST BE TAKEN. ONE BENEFIT OF SUCH AN APPROACH IS THAT INSTRUCTORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PAY ATTENTION TO EVALUATION DATA ON A FEW HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES, WHEREAS IN THE PAST THEY HAVE TENDED SIMPLY TO IGNORE TEST RESULTS ON LARGE NUMBERS OF OBJECTIVES. HOWEVER, CARE MUST BE TAKEN BY EDUCATORS TO FOCUS SOLELY ON THE MEASURED COMPETENCIES, TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHERS. (LKM)