Assessment in Practice Based Learning

The Case for the Job Interview

James WolffMonita Baba-Djara

March 26, 2010

Course goal:◦ To prepare students to

work in maternal and child health in a developing country setting

24 MPH students Fifteen 2½h sessions Student centered Practice based

Our Course

Five sessions◦Developed and

conducted by students

◦Interactive◦Simulate situations

and activities from MCH practice in developing countries

The Technical Workshops

Integrated course design◦ Form close alignment with

goals and activities Rigorous and broad

◦ Ability to probe knowledge in all dimensions of significant learning

Based in practice◦ Simulated a professional

experience

Our Challenge

Excellent alignment with course goals and teaching and learning activities

Plus

Rigorous Oral Assessment

Practice Based- building work place skills◦ Job search preparation◦ Interviewing skills

The Job Interview as Assessment

Integrated Course DesignGoal

Develop skills to work

effectively in MCH in

developing countriesAssessment

Job Interview for an MCH

position

Teaching/ LearningActivitiesTechnical

workshops that simulate the type of work done by MCH professionals

Requires extensive preparation

Probes in depth Assesses all six

dimensions of significant learning

Rigor, Depth, Breadth

Learn about the organization offering the job

Read and understand the job description

Identify key aspects of the job and prepare for questions in these areas

Prepare cover letter and CV Discuss class and other

experience in light of the responsibilities in the job description

Building workplace skills

Modeled candidate selection procedures used by an international public health consulting company◦ Adapted a real job description for

MCH position based on material covered in technical workshops

Adapted a candidate evaluation form and developed an interview guide ◦ Created range of responses

based on job description and course content

Creating A Job Interview Assessment

Job Announcement The Job Interview Candidate

assessment form for feedback

Discussion and hiring recommendations for each candidate

Conducting the Job Interview

Written assessment Final reflections

strengths that you brought to this job interview

suggestions on how you can improve your performance in a job interview in the future.

Critical incident questionnaire

Providing Feedback and Reflection

Assessing All Dimensions of Significant Learning

Learning How to Learn

Foundational Knowledge Caring

Application

IntegrationHuman

Dimension

Assessing All Dimensions of Significant Learning

FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE•Able to show depth of knowledge•Demonstrate ability to frame ideas and concepts

• Mastery of facts

• Ability to frame concepts

Assessing All Dimensions of Significant Learning

APPLICATION• Opportunity to Illustrate ideas and concepts from their own experience and experience in class

• Critical Thinking

• Problem Solving

Assessing All Dimensions of Significant Learning

INTEGRATION• Demonstrate the extent that simulated experience in workshops is integrated with other skills and concepts

• Making Connections between people, concepts and ideas

Assessing All Dimensionsof Significant Learning

Human Dimension•Opportunity to discuss team experience•Demonstrate understanding of issues that arise working in teams

• Leadership

• Multi-cultural education

• Working as a member of a team

• Embodying environmental ethics

Assessing All Dimensions of Significant Learning

Caring

•Able to communicate interest, commitment and passion for MCH

• Become excited about MCH

• Desire to be an effective MCH professional

Assessing All Dimensions of Significant Learning

LEARNING HOW TO LEARN•Able to talk about learning•Reflect on the learning experience as a professional skill

• How to inquire and construct knowledge

• How to be an effective learner

• How to pursue self-directed learning

“not only made me review all of the course content, but because I was preparing for an interview, I really thought about how what we learned could be applied in the real world…”

Student Feedback 1

“The interview demanded that we draw connections…It provided me the opportunity to discuss what I have not only learned in this course, but during the course of my education…”

Student Feedback 2

“I was surprised about how much I actually knew. I enjoyed talking about what I had learned and was pleasantly surprised when the answers or my opinions came out of my mouth so easily. I really felt as if I had learned concrete things in the past weeks”

Student Feedback 3

Aligns goals, activities and assessment for strong integrated course design

Allows rigorous assessment of six dimensions of significant learning

Builds practice based skills

Conclusion