Feeding Forward Traditional and Authentic Assessment

          The 21^st century nursing classroom both significantly differs, yet remains quintessentially similar to the late-20^th century nursing classroom with regard to utilization of traditional and authentic assessment.  In 2016, Jon Mueller created the Authentic Assessment Tool Box; however, non-inclusive and without regard to how it might be utilized within nursing education. One of the most interesting pieces of information within “The Tool Box” is the comparison made between traditional and authentic assessment (TABLE ONE), as it is written to the ideals non-utilization of active teaching strategies within a non-technical course curriculum.  

(TABLE ONE)

           Upon review of the defining attributes of each assessment style above, it is quite obvious that if the table is slightly altered, we can effectively recognize the assessment styles currently utilized within theory and simulation/clinical nursing curriculums today (TABLE 2).

Nursing Curriculum Assessment
Theory Assessment Traditional	Clinical Assessment Authentic
·         Selecting a Response ·         Contrived ·         Recall/Recognition ·         Teacher-Structured ·         Indirect Evidence	·         Performing a Task ·         Real-Life ·         Construction/Application ·         Student-Structured ·         Direct Evidence

(TABLE 2)

AllNurses speaks of the idea of utilization of both the traditional and authentic assessment within nursing curriculum for efficiency and monetary reasons.  However, I personally recognize the value to having utilized both types of assessment in the past, as well as the present and future, as they benefit the types of instruction provided within theory, simulation and clinical curriculums.

One of my personal beliefs regarding education is maintenance of an active learning style classroom; I maintain the same view with regard to assessment. Regardless of the assessment type, an instructor must identify ways to bond with each student, as well as an efficient way to feed forward and adapt curriculum instruction to meet the needs of current and future students.  In the 21^st century, utilization of Flipped Learning and modern technology (such as Screencastify) within grading of traditional style curriculum (such as multiple choice exams, essays, etc.) to create an interactive, engaging student-centered approach creates a personal and proactive assessment method.  Application of tools such as this also allow the instructor the ability to monitor and track the feedback provided to each student, note commonalities between students, issues and assessments, and develop a platform in which they might identify portions of curriculum that require revision for future instruction.

Teaching is about being creative and developing active, engaging curriculum that promotes student learning…creating assessments that are included under that same umbrella should be the priority of every future nursing instructor, I know it is one of mine.