Best Practices: Simulation Assessment
In designing assessment mechanisms, the instructor should keep in mind the key learning objectives of the simulation and the targeted skills the simulation is designed to enhance. Assessment tools should be chosen based on what is best suited to assess the students’ desired learning outcomes.
Assessment of Student Knowledge
Examinations
A post-simulation exam can be used to assess how much knowledge students have gained on the content of the simulation (Bray, 2011). Alternatively, a take-home exam can ask students to undertake a detailed analysis of certain topics or issues central to the simulation. Examinations can assess both content and the ability of the students to connect their personal experiences in simulation with the broader learning objectives of the course.
Writing exercises
This method can take multiple forms. Students can be tasked with crafting an introspective piece that asks them to reflect on what they have learned throughout the simulation. This kind of reflective writing prompts students to consider how the exercise would have been different in the real-world, whether it synched with their expectations, as well as broader self-reflection on their own performance and learning (Smith et al., 2006; Moore, Beshke & Bohan, 2014). Regular journal entries can also be used if the instructor wishes to prompt reflection on content throughout the simulation.
Assessment of Applied Skill Development
Task-specific exercises
Students can be given a number of tasks of varying difficulty to perform levels during or after the simulation to demonstrate competencies acquired. Students are assessed based on their performance, as well as follow-up reflection or explanation (Trundle & Bell, 2010). For example, medicine students were tasked with demonstrating their surgical skills in animal models (Sidhu, 2005) while tourism management students were asked to demonstrate their tour-guiding skills by conducting mini-tours around the campus (Armstrong, 2003).
Discussion
In role-play simulations, students can be assessed through a facilitated discussion. During the discussion, the students can be asked to explain their in-role stance, reflect on what transpired during the simulation, and explore alternative outcomes. Students are graded on the depth of their self-reflection and their ability to connect knowledge gained through the exercise with real-world practice (Moore et al., 2014).
Case study
The use of interactive cases is another tool for the assessment of students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills. Here, specific cases representing different complex situations are integrated in the simulation. The students have to explore the cases and come up with acceptable solutions for the problems (Wu, 2015a; Wu, 2015b; Kelley et al., 2008).
Assessment of Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism
In-person feedback
This can take the form of a semi-structured interview where service users and students are given the opportunity to discuss their experiences in front of the instructor. Students are assessed based on the feedback as well as their response to it (McMahon-Parkes et al., 2016). This kind of assessment is important for those disciplines where the students will have to directly interact with the service users as part of their professional careers.