How do signature pedagogies get their signatures? The role of assessment and professional artefacts in preparing students for their professions

ABSTRACT

Signature pedagogies are widely used in professional education to prepare students for the complex and unpredictable nature of professional work. We argue that assessment moments involving professional artefacts contribute to the evaluation and formation of professional knowledge, skills and moral understandings – and thus to the signature of the pedagogy. The ‘authenticity’ these professional artefacts add to assessment is of particular relevance for understanding the pedagogic signature. Drawing on interviews from a professional study programme in dental hygiene, we employ sociocultural theories to analyse how different assessment moments are used to evaluate and develop students’ competences of working with professional artefacts: dental radiographs. The findings show how the use of professional artefacts in three different assessment moments requires students to engage deeply with the epistemic, practical and moral dimensions of their profession. Our study contributes both empirical and conceptual insights to the field’s understanding of the inner workings of signature pedagogies.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional education
• Signature pedagogy
• Oral radiology
• Authentic assessment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rachelle Esterhazy

Rachelle Esterhazy is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Education, University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interests cover feedback, assessment and pedagogical design practices in higher education as well as collegial approaches to faculty development. She also works as a faculty developer across the whole University of Oslo.

Thomas De Lange

Thomas de Lange is an associate professor at the Department of Education, University of Oslo, Norway. His research interests relate to teaching, supervision and student learning in higher education with a particular focus on developing supportive practices at the university level. He has also been involved in research on the use of technology in teaching and digital assessment and is on a daily basis involved in practical teacher training and professional development at the University of Oslo.

Anne Møystad

Anne Møystad, DDS, dr.odont Professor, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo 2009-. Professor, University of Malmö, 2011–12. Research associate and visiting lecturer, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 2006–07. Specialist in Maxillofacial radiology 2007-, Head Department of Maxillofacial Radiology, 2002–2006.