Assessment of learning can be a meaningful tool for teachers and students during a course to provide feedback to the student about the type and quality of work that is being completed in the course and for the instructor to find areas where the student is having difficulties and so additional materials can be provided or the course modified. The aim of this paper is to define assessment and critical thinking skills, and then review a State University course and suggest different assessments that could be used to demonstrate learning. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing will be the course reviewed, as it is the only course I have previously taken, and therefore the only course which I have assess to the curriculum. Critical thinking is recognized by accrediting bodies as an outcome for graduates of bachelor and master’s level programs, but no consensus exits on its definition and measurements (Ali, Bantz, & Siktberg, 2005, p. 90). Some critical thinking “descriptors are: confidence, contextual perspective, flexibility, inquisitiveness, intellectual integrity, intuition, open-mindedness, perseverance, and reflection. In addition, individuals who think critically have the ability to use the cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, seeking information, reasoning logically, and transforming knowledge (Scheffer & Rubenfeld, 2000) (Ali, Bantz, & Siktberg, 2005, p. 90). Assessment strategies should be integrated into the curriculum so that critical thinking skills can be assessed throughout the course and not just at the end of the course. Critical thinking projects will take concepts from a broad range and apply these to local clinical contexts, “the assignment then challenges the student to reflect/... ... middle of paper ... ...wer/pdfviewer?vid=7&hid=108&sid=23f3c4b8-a97d-452f-ba15-999b53ea73f3%40sessionmgr104 Bassendowski, S., & Salgado, A. (2005). Plagiarism and Assessment Strategies. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 2(1), 1-15. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=17&sid=a1c31d83-a01d-4359-9098-089d5f29be6b%40sessionmgr4 Halstead, J. (2005). Promoting Critical Thinking Through Online Discussion. Annual Review of Nursing Education, 3, 143-162. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&hid=17&sid=a1c31d83-a01d-4359-9098-089d5f29be6b%40sessionmgr4 Price, B. (1997). Defining quality student feedback in distance learning. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26, 154-160. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&hid=122&sid=ba204f46-cf36-481b-b357-9df7b66fab8b%40sessionmgr113
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, K. B. (2015). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies (3rd ed.). [VitalSource Bookshelf Version]. http://dx.doi.org/9781284059571
Scully, N 2012, 'Critical Thinking and the Nursing Process' in a Berman, SJ Snyder, T Levett- Jones, T Dwyer, M Hales, N Harvey, Y Luxford, L Moxham, T Park, B Parker, K Reid-Searl & D Stanley, Kozier and Erb's fundamental of nursing, vol. 1, 2nd Australian edn, Pearson, Frenchs Forest, NSW, pp. 204-205.
-Utilized critical thinking skills to the nursing process: assessed conditions, demonstrated effective decision making, implemented appropriate interventions, anticipated potential complications, and evaluated care outcomes
Pettigrew, A., Dienger, M., & King, M. (2011). Nursing students today: Who are they and what are their learning preferences? Journal of Professional Nursing, 27(4), 227-236. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2011.03.007.
For instance, critical thinking allows nurses to identify, evaluate and improve practice by bringing about change in response to feedback from various practice experiences.” However, as Gardner (2014), advocating there is a need to shift from focusing on nursing skills as an individual towards participating in a much more holistic critical process encompassing the wider social context. In this way, critical reflection incorporates principles of critical social theory. In addition, critical reflection from an essential social perspective aims to bring forth an awareness of any underlying assumptions so these may be challenged and altered for next time. As Usher and Holmes (2010) write, reflection “offers a way to bring to the surface the contradictions between what you intend to achieve in a situation and how you actually practice”. In addition, critical reflection may assist with advancing nursing practice from the status quo towards actively creating opportunities to change for a better outcome whether that may be during the experience or in the future. Reflective thinking is hypothesis testing, and real-time experimentation done in situations where “wicked problems” occurs that facilitates deeper knowledge and understanding (Rolfe, 2014). For Rolfe (2014), knowledge is a verb, not a noun, and he
The purpose of this article was clear and concise. The purpose of this mix method qualitative study was to “evaluate the effectiveness of grand rounds as an educational strategy to develop critical thinking and clinical judgment skills in baccalaureate nursing students” (Mann, 2012, p.27). The Lasater’s Clinical Judgment Rubric was used to assess the nursing students’ clinical judgment (Mann, 2012). The Assessment Technologies Institute’s (ATI) Critical Thinking Assessment (CTA) was utilized to assess the...
Sorensen, H. J., & Yankech, L. (2008). Precepting in the Fast Lane: Improving Critical Thinking in New Graduate Nurses. Journal Of Continuing Education In Nursing, 39(5), 208.
The article “Promoting the 6Cs of Nursing in Patient Assessment” by Clarke (2014), is one that covers the different elements of patient assessment, how critical thinking is required in assessment and how nurses can integrate caring into their nursing process, primarily during patient assessment. Patient assessment is the first part of the nursing process and requires the nurse to collect objective and subject information for analysis that can be then attributed to a nursing diagnosis (Potter et al., 2014). Even after a diagnosis has been made, nurses must continue to assess and analyze their patients in order to ensure the patient is in good condition and that treatment is going as planned (Potter et al., 2014). In the case of critical thinking, it is “a complex phenomenon that can be defined as a process and as a set of skills” and often focuses on sound logic and reasoning (Potter et al., 2014, p. 141). The definition of Caring differs somewhat depending on the theorist, but in essence it boils down to a concept central to nursing that requires the nurse to support the patient in their health,
Critical thinking occurs when a person thinks about a subject or problem to where the improvement of the quality of ones own thinking using skillful analogies, then assessing and reconstructing them. A few important skills that is learned through critical thinking is learning how to discipline oneself in thinking, understanding the world as well as learning themselves. Critical thinking in the business world has many benefits in the process of decision making by employers as well as employees.
Lunney, M. (2010). Use of critical thinking in the diagnostic process. International Journal Of Nursing Terminologies & Classifications,21(2), 82-88. doi:10.1111/j.1744-618X.2010.01150.x
While these improvements in the care of patients are important, the evaluation piece is most critical. Nursing faculty need to have awareness of how the designed HPS contributes or does not contribute to the learning outcomes. According to Robinson & Dearmon (2013), the evaluation process framework supports the process based on preformed standards and offers the occasion for testing and duplication of the HPS activity.
Even though this is the first time of me going through this type of learning and thinking assessment, I do agree with all the three results. Each of them seems to depict my way of learning and thinking.
Critical thinking is often described as sets of competencies (Pithers & Soden, 2000). For example, Ennis (1987,1993) offers a taxonomy of critical thinking skills and dispositions to be applied in identifying a problem and its assumptions, and making inferences. Broad dispositions such as a spirit of inquiry, open-mindedness and weighing the credibility of evidence are also very important (Ennis, 1993; Perkins, Jay, & Tishman, 1993) and considered transferable over various domains.
In conclusion, the educational process should not be simple and repetitive it must include analysis tools to allow for various new interpretations and judgements. A student who is taught to think critically will act accordingly as one of the best abilities which will be created for them to foresee the potential effects of their actions. By having students think critically, they are able to formulate the right questions, evaluate judgements and to formulate their own interpretations based on evidence. Critical thinking in the university environment has a positive impact on grades, retention, future careers and ultimately leads to student empowerment for the future.
Critical thinking is a significant and essential topic in recent education. The strategy of critical thinking skills helps identify areas in one's courses as the suitable place to highlight, expand and use some problems in exams that test students' critical thinking skills.