Outcome-Based Education:
Using Objectives in Assesing Student Performance
by Anita Duhl Glicken, MSW

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An assessment samples student performance on a variety of measures. In order for the assessment to test the student’s mastery of course material with validity, the test should be consistent with the course objectives and the content of the instruction. Test preparation, therefore, should include a consideration of the general instructional goals and specific instructional objectives. The specific learning outcomes described by the objectives provide verification that the student has achieved the specific or general goal.

A good starting point for faculty discussions of assessment is provided by Airasian's definition of assessment. Assessment is the "process of collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information to aide decision-making."¹ The results of our assessments inform our decisions, not only about what our students know but also what we as educators need to do to refine our instructional efforts to make them more effective or responsive to our student and changing societal need. A consideration of the following requirements for assessment instruments or approaches can enhance this discussion.²

• The assessment must provide valid and reliable data.
Valid data provides accurate information about what is being assessed. Different types of evidence from our assessments support the validity of the results. For example, an instrument that has a strong predictive value of how a student may perform in practice may be combined with one that detects change in performance following instruction. Carefully selecting the most appropriate assessments will assure that the conclusions are accurate. Reliability confirms that the assessment provides consistent results no matter who uses it or when it is used.

• The assessment must be feasible.
Feasibility is often a limiting factor in assessment. Time, space and resources all must be considered when selecting the most appropriate assessment method.

• The assessment provides valuable information.
Assessments should provide information related to individual student performance but should also contain enough information to inform the instructor of needed course or curricular improvements.

When a written or practical examination is utilized for testing, instructors may choose to construct a table that details how the test items relate to objectives and content. These tables describe the number of test items needed to accurately sample the student's mastery of instructional objectives and course content. A sample table is depicted below in Table 5.

The numbers in each cell of the table indicate the number of questions constructed in each area. This allows the instructor to determine the relative emphasis and importance placed on these areas of the curriculum. The instructor can also weight the amount of time spent in teaching these areas to correspond to the relative weight of these areas on the exam. The table, therefore, describes the types of test questions and overall complexity of learning the instructor is soliciting from the students. This information can be used to construct test questions that correspond to the information in each cell.

All programs struggle to some extent with how to evaluate student mastery of the curriculum. Mastery of achievement-based learning objectives provides evidence that graduates can meet the health care needs of a dynamic health care system. The example above illustrates an assessment plan for a typical multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessment. Many other forms of assessment are available to educators testing higher levels of knowledge and skill development from multiple perspectives.The Resources section of this guide contains the ACGME Toolbox for Assessment. A table depicting "Best Methods for Evaluation" for the ACGME competencies is included in this section as well. These resources can help educators review their own curricula's outcomes and assessment strategies in light of validated assessments that have been matched by the ACGME to particular competencies.

Selecting appropriate assessments is an ongoing challenge. Clearly, the first step lies in identifying the outcomes or competencies students are expected to achieve. These outcomes provide the overall framework for an educational plan that consists of course objectives, teaching strategies and assessments. Well-written objectives are the foundation of that educational plan.

This next section of this manual provides many excellent examples of objectives, teaching tips and assessment strategies contributed by the APAP membership to assist programs and instructors in the development process.

¹Airasian PW. Classroom Assessment. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

²Retrieved from http://www.acgme.org/outcome/assess/keyConsider.asp

Outcome-Based Education

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