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Factors confounding the assessment of reflection : a critical review

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Abstract
Background: Reflection on experience is an increasingly critical part of professional development and lifelong learning. There is, however, continuing uncertainty about how best to put principle into practice, particularly as regards assessment. This article explores those uncertainties in order to find practical ways of assessing reflection. Discussion: We critically review four problems: 1. Inconsistent definitions of reflection; 2. Lack of standards to determine (in) adequate reflection; 3. Factors that complicate assessment; 4. Internal and external contextual factors affecting the assessment of reflection. Summary: To address the problem of inconsistency, we identified processes that were common to a number of widely quoted theories and synthesised a model, which yielded six indicators that could be used in assessment instruments. We arrived at the conclusion that, until further progress has been made in defining standards, assessment must depend on developing and communicating local consensus between stakeholders (students, practitioners, teachers, supervisors, curriculum developers) about what is expected in exercises and formal tests. Major factors that complicate assessment are the subjective nature of reflection's content and the dependency on descriptions by persons being assessed about their reflection process, without any objective means of verification. To counter these validity threats, we suggest that assessment should focus on generic process skills rather than the subjective content of reflection and where possible to consider objective information about the triggering situation to verify described reflections. Finally, internal and external contextual factors such as motivation, instruction, character of assessment (formative or summative) and the ability of individual learning environments to stimulate reflection should be considered.
Keywords
review, confounding factors, reflection model, health sciences education, reflection, assessment

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MLA
Koole, Sebastiaan, et al. “Factors Confounding the Assessment of Reflection : A Critical Review.” BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION, vol. 11, 2011, doi:10.1186/1472-6920-11-104.
APA
Koole, S., Dornan, T., Aper, L., Scherpbier, A., Valcke, M., Cohen-Schotanus, J., & Derese, A. (2011). Factors confounding the assessment of reflection : a critical review. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION, 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-104
Chicago author-date
Koole, Sebastiaan, Tim Dornan, Leen Aper, Albert Scherpbier, Martin Valcke, Janke Cohen-Schotanus, and Anselme Derese. 2011. “Factors Confounding the Assessment of Reflection : A Critical Review.” BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-104.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Koole, Sebastiaan, Tim Dornan, Leen Aper, Albert Scherpbier, Martin Valcke, Janke Cohen-Schotanus, and Anselme Derese. 2011. “Factors Confounding the Assessment of Reflection : A Critical Review.” BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 11. doi:10.1186/1472-6920-11-104.
Vancouver
1.
Koole S, Dornan T, Aper L, Scherpbier A, Valcke M, Cohen-Schotanus J, et al. Factors confounding the assessment of reflection : a critical review. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION. 2011;11.
IEEE
[1]
S. Koole et al., “Factors confounding the assessment of reflection : a critical review,” BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION, vol. 11, 2011.
@article{2054147,
  abstract     = {{Background: Reflection on experience is an increasingly critical part of professional development and lifelong learning. There is, however, continuing uncertainty about how best to put principle into practice, particularly as regards assessment. This article explores those uncertainties in order to find practical ways of assessing reflection.
Discussion: We critically review four problems: 1. Inconsistent definitions of reflection; 2. Lack of standards to determine (in) adequate reflection; 3. Factors that complicate assessment; 4. Internal and external contextual factors affecting the assessment of reflection.
Summary: To address the problem of inconsistency, we identified processes that were common to a number of widely quoted theories and synthesised a model, which yielded six indicators that could be used in assessment instruments. We arrived at the conclusion that, until further progress has been made in defining standards, assessment must depend on developing and communicating local consensus between stakeholders (students, practitioners, teachers, supervisors, curriculum developers) about what is expected in exercises and formal tests. Major factors that complicate assessment are the subjective nature of reflection's content and the dependency on descriptions by persons being assessed about their reflection process, without any objective means of verification. To counter these validity threats, we suggest that assessment should focus on generic process skills rather than the subjective content of reflection and where possible to consider objective information about the triggering situation to verify described reflections. Finally, internal and external contextual factors such as motivation, instruction, character of assessment (formative or summative) and the ability of individual learning environments to stimulate reflection should be considered.}},
  articleno    = {{104}},
  author       = {{Koole, Sebastiaan and Dornan, Tim and Aper, Leen and Scherpbier, Albert and Valcke, Martin and Cohen-Schotanus, Janke and Derese, Anselme}},
  issn         = {{1472-6920}},
  journal      = {{BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION}},
  keywords     = {{review,confounding factors,reflection model,health sciences education,reflection,assessment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{9}},
  title        = {{Factors confounding the assessment of reflection : a critical review}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-104}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}

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