Evaluation and testing in nursing education - Springer Publishing

Evaluation, Measurement, and Education 7
standard, e.g., met the medical terminology competency (Linn & Gronlund,
2000, p. 43). Criterion-referenced interpretation determines how well the student
performed at the end of the instruction in comparison with the objectives and
competencies to be achieved.
With criterion-referenced clinical evaluation, student performance is compared
against preset criteria. In some nursing courses these criteria are the clinical
objectives to be met in the course. Other courses indicate competencies to be
demonstrated in clinical practice, which are then used as the standards for
evaluation. Rather than comparing the performance of the student to others in
the group, and indicating that the student was above or below the average of
the group, in criterion-referenced clinical evaluation, performance is measured
against the objectives or competencies to be demonstrated. The concern with
criterion-referenced clinical evaluation is whether students achieved the clinical
objectives or demonstrated the competencies, not how well they performed in
comparison to the other students.
TESTING
Tests are one form of measurement. A test is a set of questions to which the
student responds in written or oral form. With tests the questions are administered
during a fixed period of time under comparable conditions for all students (Linn &
Gronlund, 2000). While students often dread tests, information from tests enables
faculty to make important decisions about students, the instruction, and
programs.
First, test results provide a basis for grading. For some nursing courses, tests
may be the only source of information for determining grades, but in most
courses, other means for grading student performance also are used, such as
papers, projects, and other assignments. Tests are typically the primary means
for arriving at grades in nursing courses, particularly in undergraduate programs.
Second, tests may be used to identify the student’s knowledge and skills
prior to the instruction, which enables the teacher to gear the instruction to
the learner’s needs. Mertler (2003) referred to this pretesting as diagnostic
assessment. The test results indicate gaps in learning that should be addressed
first and knowledge and skills already acquired. With this information teachers
can plan their instruction better. When teachers are working with large groups
of students, it is difficult to gear the instruction to meet each student’s needs.
However, the teacher can use diagnostic tests to reveal content areas for which
individual learners may be lacking and then suggest remedial learning activities.
Third, tests are used for selection and fourth, placement of students in
nursing programs. In some nursing programs, students take tests for admission