4.5 Required Assessments
4.5 Required Assessments
As defined by ASHA, formative assessment is: “ongoing measurement during educational preparation for the purpose of improving student learning. Formative assessment yields critical information for monitoring an individual’s acquisition of knowledge and skills. Such assessment must evaluate critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Measures should include oral and written components, as well as demonstrations of clinical proficiency.”
A summative assessment is: “…a comprehensive evaluation of learning outcomes at the culmination of educational preparation. Summative assessment yields critical information for determining an individuals’ achievement of knowledge and skills.”
To this end, the Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions AuD program includes a series of formative assessments that occur during the first year of the program and two summative assessments in the final academic semester before the externship year.
4.5.1 Formative Assessments
Critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills are assessed during supervised clinical practica in the first year. Fifteen core clinical skills are assessed regularly using two metrics. The first metric is a physical checklist where the students will demonstrate seven instances of their ability to independently perform each clinical skill. The second metric evaluates the student’s level of competency as measured by their preceptor’s evaluation in Exxat. The final evaluation for the spring semester will be reviewed to ensure the student has reached minimum proficiency for expected performance for each of the 15 core clinical skills.
Students who do not achieve these competencies will enroll in an additional (fourth) clinical practicum during the summer semester of the second year. If the student fails to achieve the required level of competence in each core clinical skill at the conclusion of this practicum, they will be considered for dismissal from the program. Note that this path to remediation delays the start of internship placements during the second year and will delay externship placement and graduation.
4.5.2 Summative Assessment
In the final academic semester (Spring) prior to the externship year, all students are required to successfully complete a two-part summative assessment of knowledge and skills. The details of, and requirements for, each assessment are reviewed with students during the Year 2 Orientation.
AuD Written Summative Exam The written exam is the first of the two-part summative assessment. This written exam is administered in January each year, usually the Friday before the start of the spring semester. The exam queries the students’ critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills in clinical audiology.
A score of 80% or higher is required to proceed to the practical examination. Students who score <70% will have one opportunity to retake the written exam. Students who score between 70 and 79% initially or upon retake may choose to: 1) participate in an oral examination to raise their score to the required minimum, or 2) participate in a semester of guided remediation before attempting the exam a second time. A second failure of the written assessment for any reason will result in dismissal from the program. It should be noted that a semester of guided remediation will necessarily extend the student’s program of study beyond the standard timeframe.
AuD Practical Summative Exam The practical exam is the second of the two-part summative assessment. The exam requires active demonstration of the student’s clinical proficiency through the use of simulated patients and clinical scenarios.
A score of 80% or higher is required to proceed to the externship year. Students who score <70% may choose to: 1) retake the practical exam immediately, or 2) participate in a semester of guided remediation before attempting the practical exam a second time. A second failure of the practical assessment for any reason will result in dismissal from the program. It should be noted that a semester of guided remediation will necessarily extend the student’s program of study beyond the standard timeframe.