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Fostering critical skills and professional attributes: Developing and using authentic interactive oral assessments in undergraduate education

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conference contribution
posted on 2024-09-27, 08:46 authored by I-Ling YehI-Ling Yeh, Karina Michelle Dancza

Background

This study explored the potential of Interactive Oral Assessments to develop graduate

attributes, including critical thinking, professional communication, and collaborative skills,

through authentic workplace simulation (Tan et al., 2021). The assessment was designed,

implemented and evaluated in occupational therapy using a four-step Model to Build Authentic

Assessment (Villarroel et al., 2018).

Summary of work

The research captured the design, delivery, and evaluation of an Interactive Oral Assessment.

Data was collected from 95 students, and six assessors. Qualitative data were analysed to

explore faculty and students' experiences during the assessments.

Results

Findings revealed the Interactive Oral Assessment effectively reflected real-world expectations

and promoted deep learning, offering a high-quality learning experience. The assessment was

perceived as authentic and helping students gain professional knowledge and skills.

Discussion

To implement these assessments effectively, faculty should consider their familiarity with

workplace contexts, flexibility in module design, facilitation skills, and support for students.

The assessments were integrated into the learning cycle, providing opportunities to practice

reasoning, reflection, inquiry, and collaborative skills. Faculty played a critical role in guiding

discussions and providing immediate feedback during the assessments. Additionally, strategies

like video feedback and peer evaluation were employed to support students' evaluative

judgment (Tai et al., 2018).

Conclusions

Authentic Interactive Oral Assessments hold promise as effective tools to develop critical skills

and graduate attributes.

Take-home messages / implications for further research or practice

Based on the study's outcomes, practical suggestions are offered for faculty to self-assess their

readiness for implementing Interactive Oral Assessments. The positive outcomes and

reflections on real-world expectations highlight the potential of these assessments for

enhancing students' learning experiences and better preparing them for their future careers.

Further research in this area could explore more extensive implementation and assess the longterm

impact of Interactive Oral Assessments on students' overall skill development and career

success.

References (maximum three)

Tai, J., R. Ajjawi, D. Boud, P. Dawson, and E. Panadero. 2018. Developing Evaluative

Judgement: Enabling Students to Make Decisions about the Quality of Work. Higher Education

76 (3): 467–481. doi:10.1007/s10734-017-0220-3.

Tan, C. P., Howes, D., Tan, R. K. W., & Dancza, K. M. (2021). Developing interactive oral

assessments to foster graduate attributes in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in

Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2021.2020722.

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S., Bruna, D., Bruna, C., & Herrera-Seda, C. (2018). Authentic

assessment: Creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher

Education, 43(5), 840-854. doi:10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396.

History

Journal/Conference/Book title

Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions (“Ottawa 2024”)

Publication date

2024-02-26

Version

  • Published

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