Opportunities For Evaluation and Remediation in Your Courses
Published on Aug 5, 2024. Updated on Aug 9, 2024.
Identifying and supporting at-risk students in healthcare education is crucial for increasing their chances of success and preparing them for the demands of the profession. Educators face the challenge of recognizing struggling students early, providing effective interventions, and fostering a supportive learning environment. This article explores strategies for evaluation and remediation, focusing on the role of assessment, intervention points, and promoting student motivation.
Challenges Around Assessment and Curriculum
Assessment
Assessing students in healthcare courses includes evaluating knowledge, clinical skills, and professional behaviors. The timing of assessments—whether formative or summative—impacts their effectiveness. Choosing appropriate assessment methods, such as written exams, practical exams, and observed clinical encounters, is crucial.
Feedback Quality
Providing high-quality feedback that is timely, specific, and actionable is essential for student development. Educators should ensure feedback is constructive and focused on performance rather than personal attributes. Creating opportunities for regular feedback sessions helps students understand their progress and areas needing improvement.
Student Engagement
Active learning strategies like case-based discussions, simulations, and group projects encourage student participation and enhance understanding. Engaged students are more likely to seek help when needed and stay motivated throughout their studies.
Faculty Development and the Changing Role of the Educator
The role of healthcare educators is evolving from traditional teaching to a more multifaceted approach, including guiding, coaching, and mentoring students. This shift requires faculty to develop new skills and adopt different roles:
- Redefining What it Means to Be an Educator: Today's educators not only deliver content but also support their students' professional growth.
- Avoiding Burnout: Balancing professional responsibilities with self-care is essential for maintaining enthusiasm and mirroring the importance to your students.
- Modeling for Professional Identity Formation: By modeling professionalism, empathy, and ethical behavior, educators influence students' development as future healthcare providers.
- Valuation of Teaching: It is important to recognize and value teaching as a critical component of healthcare education. Institutions should support faculty development and reward excellence in teaching.
To address these challenges, it's essential to identify and implement targeted intervention points for at-risk learners, ensuring they receive the support needed to succeed in their healthcare education.
Intervention Points for At-Risk Learners
Supporting at-risk learners requires identifying intervention points throughout their educational journey, whether during pre-matriculation, early failures, or continued failures and decelerations.
Pre-matriculation
Identifying at-risk students before they matriculate can help provide early support. Admissions processes should consider factors that may predict academic difficulties, such as prior academic performance, learning disabilities, and personal challenges. Pre-matriculation programs, such as summer preparatory courses, help bridge gaps and prepare students for the rigors of healthcare education.
Early Failures
Early identification of students struggling in their courses allows for timely interventions. Regular assessments and feedback help pinpoint areas of difficulty. Educators can offer additional support, such as tutoring, mentoring, or modified learning plans, to help these students get back on track.
Continued Failures and Decelerations
More intensive support may be necessary for students who struggle despite early interventions. This can include individualized learning plans, academic counseling, and psychological support. Educators should work closely with these students to understand the underlying issues and provide tailored assistance to address their specific needs.
Addressing students at these intervention points is essential, but implementing programmatic assessment strategies that holistically support student success is equally important.
The Role of Programmatic Assessment in Student Success
Programmatic assessment involves continuously collecting and analyzing assessment data to inform educational decisions and improve student outcomes. Programmatic assessment helps with:
- Monitoring student progress and identifying at-risk students.
- Providing a comprehensive view of student performance over time.
- Guiding curriculum improvements and instructional strategies.
This holistic approach ensures that assessments are aligned with learning objectives and that data is used to support student development. However, while programmatic assessment plays a crucial role in supporting student success, it's also important to consider how assessment methods impact student motivation.
The Effect of Assessment on Student Motivation
Assessments can significantly impact student motivation. High-stakes assessments may cause anxiety and pressure, leading to decreased motivation and performance. Conversely, low-stakes, formative assessments can enhance motivation by providing regular feedback and opportunities for improvement. Educators should strive to balance assessments to promote a positive learning experience and autonomous motivation.
How to Promote Autonomous Motivation
Autonomous motivation, where students are self-driven and engaged in learning for its intrinsic value, is crucial for long-term success. Strategies to promote autonomous motivation include:
- Fostering a Growth Mindset: Encourage students to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.
- Providing Autonomy: Allow students some control over their learning process, such as choosing assignment topics or setting personal learning goals.
- Encouraging Self-Reflection: Promoting reflective practices helps students understand their learning styles and areas for improvement.
Having explored strategies for promoting autonomous motivation, we can now examine how harnessing the power of learning with Osmosis from Elsevier can further enhance student engagement and success.
Harnessing the Power of Learning
Elsevier has a six-pillar assessment strategy that promotes autonomous motivation for students, hence learning and psychological well-being. These six pillars are:
- Assessment embedded in Self-Directed Learning (SDL) activities
- Faculty-driven assessment as part of instruction
- Self-directed assessment
- Clear, timely, and actionable feedback
- Mastery-based, conducted longitudinally
- Authenticity with clinical practice
Educators can enhance student engagement, reinforce key concepts, and provide additional support for at-risk students through integrating trusted Elsevier e-learning solutions into the curriculum.
Next Steps for Evaluation and Remediation
Evaluating and supporting at-risk students in healthcare education requires a multifaceted approach. Educators can create a supportive learning environment by addressing challenges around assessment, identifying intervention points, leveraging programmatic assessment, and promoting autonomous motivation. Tools like Osmosis can further enhance student learning and success, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to thrive in their healthcare education and future careers.
Interested in learning how Osmosis from Elsevier can support at-risk students in your program? Schedule a call today.
