Physiotherapy student perceptions of the feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of continuous adaptive assessment

Abstract

Assessment is a key learning tool to drive deep and sustained learning and develop lifelong learning skills. Individually, continuous assessments and adaptive assessments have demonstrated potential to positively impact learning. An opportunity to combine continuous and adaptive assessment to enhance learning potential within a physiotherapy program has been identified. Continuous adaptive assessment (CAA) is a learning orientated approach to assessment scaffolded to students’ current level of achievement, increasing in difficulty as standards are attained and allowing multiple attempts over a specified time with integrated actionable feedback. We used a mixed methods approach to evaluate student perceptions of feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of CAA within an academic physiotherapy unit. Data on student perceptions were collected via survey and semi-structured interviews; performance and engagement data were downloaded from the learning management system. CAA was perceived by students to be feasible, acceptable and appropriate. Most students (83%) perceived CAA to be beneficial for learning, identifying multiple attempts, integrated feedback and regular engagement with unit content to be the primary contributors to this benefit; 70% of students perceived CAA to positively impact their learning more than a traditional quiz. Students’ perceptions of workload, pressure and scaffolding were more divided.

Keywords:

• Continuous assessment
• adaptive assessment
• physiotherapy education
• feedback

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to acknowledge Associate Professor Maurizio Manuguerra for the conceptual idea and contribution to development of the assessment task. Thank you to research assistants Kate Bellamy, Ashley Woodbury and Rhi Thomas.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to declare.

Ethics approval

Data collection and methodology for this study was approved by The Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical Sciences; Reference No: 52022993040132, date:16/04/2021) approved this study.

Data availability statement

The participants of this study did not give written consent for their data to be shared publicly. Supporting data are not available.

Additional information

Funding

The authors did not receive funding, grants, or other support for the submitted work.