1. What are the purposes of assessment and evaluation in nursing education? (2 marks) - Assessment is the process of gathering evidence of student learning and performance, while evaluation is the process of making judgments about the quality and value of student learning and performance based on the evidence collected. (2 marks) - The purposes of assessment and evaluation are to: (a) provide feedback to students and teachers on the strengths and weaknesses of student learning and performance; (b) motivate and guide students to improve their learning and performance; (c) measure and document student achievement and progress; (d) inform and improve curriculum design, teaching methods, and learning resources; (e) ensure accountability and quality assurance of nursing education programs; and (f) facilitate accreditation, certification, and licensure of nursing graduates. (0 marks) 2. What are the characteristics of effective assessment and evaluation methods in nursing education? (3 marks) - Effective assessment and evaluation methods should be: (a) valid, meaning they measure what they intend to measure; (b) reliable, meaning they produce consistent and accurate results; (c) fair, meaning they are free from bias and discrimination; (d) transparent, meaning they are clear and explicit about the criteria, standards, and procedures used; € feasible, meaning they are practical and manageable within the available resources; (f) aligned, meaning they match the intended learning outcomes, content, and level of the course or program; and (g) varied, meaning they use a range of methods to capture different aspects of student learning and performance. (3 marks) 3. What are some examples of formative and summative assessment methods in nursing education? (4 marks) - Formative assessment methods are those that provide ongoing feedback to students and teachers during the learning process, such as quizzes, assignments, case studies, simulations, peer reviews, self-assessments, portfolios, journals, reflections, etc. (2 marks) - Summative assessment methods are those that provide a final judgment on student learning and performance at the end of a course or program, such as exams, projects, presentations, reports, clinical evaluations, etc. (2 marks) 4. What are some advantages and disadvantages of using multiple-choice questions (MCQs) as an assessment method in nursing education? (4 marks) - Some advantages of using MCQs are: (a) they can test a large amount of content in a short time; (b) they can measure different levels of cognitive skills, such as recall, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation; (c) they can provide immediate feedback to students and teachers; (d) they can be easily scored and analyzed using technology; and (e) they can reduce the influence of guessing, cheating, or subjective marking. (2 marks) - Some disadvantages of using MCQs are: (a) they can be difficult and time-consuming to construct with good quality; (b) they can be limited in assessing higher-order thinking skills or complex problem-solving skills; (c) they can encourage rote memorization or superficial learning; (d) they can be influenced by distractors or test-taking strategies; and (e) they can lack authenticity or relevance to real-world situations. (2 marks)