Dr Shahla Meedya
University of Wollongong, Australia
Title: Rubrics versus marking guide for nursing students
Submitted Date: 7-22-2017
Biography
Abstract
Background: Marking guides with checklist style and rubrics have been used in different tertiary institutions to prepare the students in demonstration of the learning outcomes in their assessment tasks. Some evidence demonstrates that checklist styles give a specific mark for each assignment criteria without challenging the students whereas, rubrics have been found to provide clear standards about expected performance in learning tasks. 1,2 There is limited information about the students and academic markers experiences in comparing both methods. \r\nObjective: the aim of the pilot study was to investigate the participants experience in using rubrics compared to the usual method of check-list style in their assessment tasks. \r\nMethod: the study design was a quantitative and exploratory study in one of the tertiary institutions in Australia. Eligible participants were third year undergraduate nursing students (n=55) and employed academics (n=6) who marked the students’ assignments. Data was collected through online survey. The outcome measure was the participants’ experience in using rubrics and checklist style.\r\nFindings: Majority of the students (78%) were using rubrics for the first time, whereas they had used checklist marking guides for at least two years. Many of students reported that both rubrics and checklist marking guide were useful but they found rubrics difficult to understand, wordy, and repetitive. The academic markers feedback was not in favour of any specific method, but they found rubrics to be time efficient, clear, easy to moderate with other markers and easy to read in comparison to checklist style marking guides.\r\nConclusion: Using rubrics was useful for the students to prepare themselves for the assessment task and it was time efficient and easy for the academic markers. However, the students need more education and support to understand and apply rubrics into their assessment preparation to achieve the full benefits of using rubrics. \r\n
Zuzana Balazsiova
Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Title: Are (bio)physical knowledge necessary for nurses? (Selected results of written test)
Submitted Date: 2017-03-07
Biography
Zuzana Balazsiova is lecturer on Medical Faculty Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. In 2012 she defended dissertation on the topic: \"The conception of teaching biophysics in the Nursing Bachelor´s degree program\". She has her expertise in students education of medical and paramedical study programs on (bio)physics, physical applications in medicine and nursing. She is aware that (bio)physics is a difficult subject for students. Therefore she tries to find an effective and student friendly way for teaching (bio)physics. In her view, model of teaching biophysics should be based on solving the tasks of nursing / medical practice. Transfer of knowledge and their explanation should be in the direction from nursing / medical to the physical knowledge.
Abstract
The aim of our research was to determinate technological and physical literacy of nurses – 266 external students of master study. Original written test was used. Questions were based on nursing practice. Tasks could be solved using the nursing or physical knowledge. It has been validated by High school curriculum and curricula of Slovak Medical Faculties.\r\nResults: Only 31.9% of respondents said that drugs with identical active principle in different solvents can be dosed differently. In our view this result is alarming given the current Government drug policy aimed at the use of cheaper generic drugs. It is likely that the reason for this result is the fact that the teaching of subject Nursing Procedure and Equipment is more focused on the technical implementation of drug administration, not on the physical properties of liquids (medicines) and their possible changes. This topic should be the subject of teaching in biophysics. \r\nDisturbing is the fact that almost 70% of all respondents did not know correctly or at all determine required information from the patient temperature curve record. More than a quarter of all respondents (27.45%) have no knowledge that the width sphygmomanometer cuff affects the result of measurement of blood pressure patient. Blood pressure measurement is included among basic nursing skills in all hospital wards and clinics. Therefore sister should perfectly control this activity in any situation.\r\nConclusion: Subject biophysics is taught in the 1st term of bachelor study nursing. Nevertheless, the research results show that nurses have poor knowledge of physics, theory of measurement and devices used in nursing practice or they do not know to use their knowledge for solving model problem task.\r\nContribution was supported by GP KEGA Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic No 026UK-4/2017.\r\n