C921 Task 3: Summative Assessment on Social Determinants of Health

Student Name

Western Governors University

C921 Assessment and Evaluation Strategies for Measuring Student Learning

Prof. Name:

Date

Developing a Performance Objective Assessment

Alignment of Assessment Items with Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Community health nurses have a crucial role in addressing health concerns within communities. Therefore, the primary objective of the course is to ensure that learners comprehend the roles they are expected to perform and the interventions necessary to promote community health. To evaluate this understanding, three assessment items were carefully selected.

What does the first assessment question evaluate?
The initial question emphasizes the significance of educating the community. Healthcare practices vary significantly across cultures, which shapes how treatments are perceived and accepted. While prevention reduces the number of hospital visits, nurses remain responsible for treatment, rehabilitation, and community-based research.

What does the second question assess?
Students are required to identify and discuss four healthcare beliefs from four different cultures. This aims to highlight how cultural beliefs impact patient treatment and outcomes.

What are the purposes of prompts four and five?
Prompts four and five focus on students’ ability to deepen their understanding of challenges faced by underserved communities. Students are expected to submit a concept map identifying four factors influencing at least one social determinant of health (SDOH).

According to Reynders et al. (2020), the validity and authenticity of the learning process depend heavily on aligning assessments with course objectives.

Prompt Number	Course Objective (CO) / Student Learning Outcome (SLO)	Focus Area	Explanation
Prompt 1	CO #1	Nurse roles in community health	Assesses knowledge of nurses’ roles in community settings
Prompt 2	CO #2	Cultural healthcare beliefs	Examines understanding of cultural and religious influences on healthcare
Prompt 3	SLO #2	Impact of social determinants of health	Analyzes effects of SDOH on patient outcomes
Prompts 4 & 5	SLO #1 and SLO #2	Challenges in underserved communities	Encourages exploration of barriers and conceptualization of social factors

Why is understanding cultural beliefs important in community health nursing?

Nurses must recognize diverse cultural and religious beliefs that influence patient decisions. For example, language barriers, such as those encountered with the growing Spanish-speaking population, require nurses to utilize available resources to communicate effectively. By understanding these nuances, nurses can deliver care that respects patients’ backgrounds and improves outcomes.

What challenges do nurses face in underserved communities?

Underserved communities often consist of individuals with varied ages, races, religions, and socioeconomic statuses. Nurses must consider these differences to deliver holistic care. They need to be mindful of the social determinants impacting health, such as economic stability, education, and access to healthcare, which influence patient needs and outcomes.

Communication of Results and Constructive Feedback

When can students expect their results?
Students will have access to their assessment results within 48 hours of submission.

The assessment platform supports student learning by providing timely feedback. Quick delivery of results allows learners to reinforce correct answers and clarify any misconceptions promptly, turning assessments into both evaluative and educational tools.

How is constructive feedback provided?
Constructive feedback includes explanations for differing answers between students and instructors, and opportunities for students to discuss concerns. Jenkins et al. (2021) emphasize that rapid, accurate feedback is essential for effective learning.

What are the passing criteria for the assessment?
Students must achieve a minimum score of 80% to pass. Scores below this threshold result in failure and a grade of zero.

Assessment Theory

The Cognitive Load Theory guided the design of this assessment. This theory posits that reducing extraneous cognitive load allows learners to devote more mental resources to actual learning tasks. Skulmowski and Xu (2022) suggest that aligning cognitive load with learning outcomes helps both theory development and practical application, especially when integrating digital technologies.

Aligning course objectives and learning outcomes with specific assessment questions encourages students to develop hypotheses connected to their learning content, enhancing cognitive processing and retention.

Test Security

What measures are implemented to ensure test security?

Assessments are stored securely, accessible only to authorized personnel, typically via school-managed computers.
All contributors involved in creating assessments sign confidentiality agreements.
Students must complete and submit assignments on school computers, which are equipped with plagiarism detection software.
A maximum plagiarism similarity score of 25% is permitted to accommodate shared templates.
Data analysis is used to detect irregularities indicating potential cheating.
Confirmed cases of cheating result in automatic course failure and disciplinary action.

Potential Barriers in the Online Environment

What obstacles might students face when completing online assessments?

Lack of internet access or computer availability can hinder assignment completion.
In such cases, students are required to use campus facilities with reliable internet and computers.
Login issues on the portal may occur; if more than five students experience access problems simultaneously, submission deadlines will be staggered to ease platform load.

Analytical Methods for Assessment

The summative assessment uses criterion-referenced grading, where student performance is compared to predetermined standards rather than to peers. McDonald (2018) defines this as grading based on mastery of learning outcomes and course objectives.

Analytical Aspect	Description
Grading System	Criterion-referenced; focuses on mastery of content
Use of Rubrics	Provides consistency, clarity, and categorization of student work
Interpretation of Scores	High scores indicate strong content knowledge; low scores highlight areas for improvement

This approach offers instructors insights into student progress and the effectiveness of instruction. Consistent low scores in specific areas suggest the need for curriculum or teaching strategy adjustments, while high scores confirm effective instruction.

Importance of Authenticity in Assignments

Lee, Budhiraja, and Rathi (2024) define authenticity as acting true to one’s values and knowledge, even when it conflicts with external expectations. Authentic assessments require students to apply learned knowledge to realistic scenarios, promoting critical thinking and deeper understanding.

This course assignment emphasizes community health nursing, which prepares students to care for culturally diverse and economically varied populations. Authentic assessments mirror real-world nursing challenges and encourage students to apply skills beyond theoretical knowledge, fostering well-rounded healthcare professionals.

Improving Teaching Strategies and Student Learning

Continuous analysis of assessment outcomes allows educators to:

Identify student strengths and weaknesses within the curriculum.
Provide targeted support to underperforming students.
Adjust teaching methods and content focus based on assessment data.

Prompt feedback enables timely intervention, correcting misconceptions early. Post-semester reviews of assessment data guide curriculum enhancements for future cohorts, ensuring teaching evolves to meet learner needs effectively.

Application of the ADDIE Instructional Design Model

The ADDIE model—Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate—was employed to create this course module (Spatioti, Kazanidis, & Pange, 2022).

ADDIE Phase	Purpose & Application
Analyze	Identifies target audience, learning goals, and problems to address
Design	Develops learning objectives, instructional strategies, and evaluation methods
Develop	Creates course content, assessments, and tools for quality evaluation
Implement	Facilitates student engagement and delivery of learning interventions
Evaluate	Measures effectiveness of instruction and student learning outcomes

Each phase builds on the previous, ensuring that the course is well-structured, meets learning objectives, and is evaluated for continual improvement.

References

Jenkins, S., Alabed, S., Swift, A., Marques, G., Ryding, A., Sawh, C., … & Garg, P. (2021). Diagnostic accuracy of handheld cardiac ultrasound device for assessment of left ventricular structure and function: systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2021-319561

Kidong Lee, Budhiraja, S., & Rathi, N. (2024). Implications of Authenticity & Self-Monitoring for In-role Job Performance and Income. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 59(4), 635-651.

McDonald, Mary E. (2018). The Nurse Educator’s Guide to Assessing Learning Outcomes (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.