This educational innovation was developed in response to the complex educational and logistical challenges presented in identifying appropriate assessment strategies for large cohorts of students. The aim of the innovation was to replace a face-to-face practical exam with online submission of a video recording of the student performing the practical skill.
Face-to-face practical exams present many complex challenges; they are inflexible, resource and time intensive, and environmentally unfriendly. In addition they cause pressure, nerves, anxiety and stress for students, fatigue and loss of concentration for examiners, and inconsistency and errors in marking leading to disputed results. Delayed feedback means that their value for learning is questionable. Online video submission is a simple approach that can overcome many of these challenges. Video has been used successfully in education for many years however this approach of using online video submission to replace face-to-face practical exams appears to be a new innovation.
The purpose of this presentation is to describe the ongoing development and application of this technology enhanced learning innovation and its benefits to both teaching and learning. It was first implemented in 2013/2014 for 217 first year students undertaking the BSc. (Hons.) in Nursing in DCU. Preliminary evaluation of the first cohort of students to participate in this innovation suggests that the majority of them preferred the online submission format and that it did enhance their learning. Further in-depth research is ongoing to assess the full benefits and potential of this assessment method.
This presentation will focus on how online video submission can be used to replace uncertainty with certainty, unpredictability with predictability, and supercomplexity with simplicity when meeting the challenge of preparing appropriate assessment and feedback for large cohorts of students in practice based modules.
