Using an e-portfolio and competency tracking system in occupational therapy education

E-portfolios and Entrustable Professional Activities to support competency-based education in dietetics

The concept of Entrustable Professional Activities, recently pioneered in medical education, has emerged to support the implementation of competency-based education. Although competency-based frameworks are widely used in healthcare professional education to develop outcomes-based curricula, assessment of student competency in professional placement settings remains challenging. The novel concept of Entrustable Professional Activities together with established methods of competency assessment, namely e-portfolios and self-assessment, was implemented in the "[La Trobe University Dietetic program in 2015-2016. This study aimed to appraise the e-portfolio and evaluate the use of Entrustable Professional Activities to assess competence. A mixed-methods evaluation, using qualitative and quantitative surveys with follow-up structured consultations, was conducted with final year dietetics students and their supervisors. Dietetics students were comfortable with Entrustable Professional Activities and competency-based assessment, whereas supervisors preferred Entrustable Professional Activity based assessment. All stakeholders valued student self-assessment and the ongoing use of structured e-portfolios to develop and document competency. The use of structured e-portfolios, student self-assessment, and the emerging concept of Entrustable Professional Activities are useful tools to support dietetics student education in professional placement settings.

Digital technologies in undergraduate and postgraduate education in occupational therapy and physiotherapy: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review was to map research in the use of digital technologies in occupational therapy and physiotherapy education in terms of the type of digital technology used, how the digital technology is applied, and the author-reported outcomes of digital technology use.

INTRODUCTION

The ubiquitous nature of digital technology has influenced higher education, offering benefits of integrating digital technologies into curricula. However, the extent of the application of digital technologies in higher education in occupational therapy and physiotherapy warrants investigation. This scoping review mapped the reported applications of digital technology in both undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy education.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Research studies on the use of digital technology in undergraduate and/or postgraduate education in occupational therapy and/or physiotherapy were considered for inclusion in this scoping review.

METHODS

A comprehensive search strategy using multiple databases was employed to find relevant studies. Keywords and the derivatives of "digital technology," "education," "occupational therapy" and "physiotherapy" were used. The databases searched included MEDLINE via PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), EBSCOhost Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost ERIC, EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost CINAHL Complete, OT Database, OT Seeker and Scopus. Google Scholar was also searched. The filter "humans" was applied, where possible. Peer-reviewed qualitative and quantitative research studies were considered for inclusion. Owing to the rapid development of technologies, studies that were published from January 2013 to April 2019 were included. This review only included papers available in English. The relevant studies and their reported outcomes were organized and analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 2853 articles. Title, abstract and full-text review yielded 52 suitable papers meeting criteria. The final data set represented 4038 participants. Data were analyzed according to three main categories, namely, type of technology used, application of digital technology and author-reported outcomes. The review showed that occupational therapy and physiotherapy educators have used a wide variety of digital technologies, including quizzes, videos, social media, learning management systems and content repositories. Digital technologies have been applied in a range of learning and teaching contexts, including feedback and assessment, clinical skills and techniques, professional behaviors, clinical reasoning and fieldwork supervision. Author-reported outcomes varied between studies and were associated with student factors (e.g. anxiety, self-efficacy), technical difficulties when implementing digital technology, as well as financial costs.

CONCLUSION

A wide variety of digital technologies can support learning and teaching across many contexts in occupational therapy and physiotherapy education. Technology should not be used in isolation and must be aligned to the proposed learning outcomes. Studies highlight the need for face-to-face contact with lecturers and fellow students in addition to the use of digital technology.

A Consensus Model: Shifting assessment practices in dietetics tertiary education

AIM

The aim of this research was to evaluate a Consensus Model for competency-based assessment.

METHODS

An evaluative case study was used to allow a holistic examination of a constructivist-interpretivist programmatic model of assessment. Using a modified Delphi process, the competence of all 29 students enrolled in their final year of a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics course was assessed by a panel (with expertise in competency-based assessment; industry and academic representation) from a course e-portfolio (that included the judgements of student performance made by worksite educators) and a panel interview. Data were triangulated with assessments from a capstone internship. Qualitative descriptive studies with worksite educators (focus groups n = 4, n = 5, n = 8) and students (personal interviews n = 29) explored stakeholder experiences analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Panel consensus was achieved for all cases by the third-round and corroborated by internship outcomes. For 34% of students this differed to the 'interpretations' of their performance made by their worksite educator/s. Emerging qualitative themes from stakeholder data found the model: (i) supported sustainable assessment practices; (ii) shifted the power relationship between students and worksite educators and (iii) provided a fair method to assess competence. To maximise benefits, more refinement, resources and training are required.

CONCLUSIONS

This research questions competency-based assessment practices based on discrete placement units and supports a constructivist-interpretivist programmatic approach where evidence across a whole course of study is considered by a panel of assessors.