Assessment in Competency-based Education: Continuing the Conversation

Workshop Facilitator: Dr. Cynthia C. Gadbury-Amyot MS, Ed.D., Associate Dean and Professor, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Workshop Rapporteur: Dr. Ingrid Tonni BDS, MOrth, PhD, Department of Orthodontics, University of Brescia

Workshop aim

This workshop theme continues the popular discussion commenced at the London workshop focused on assessment.  The workshop through keynote speakers brings together discussions on entrustable professional activities and work-based assessment.

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A.  Competency-Based Education in the Health Professions and Entrustable Professional Activities: Rationale and Background

Presented by: Prof Olle ten Cate PhD, Professor of Medical Education, Center for Research and Development of Education, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands

This session will focus on the role that EPAs are taking in competency-based education in the 21st century.  While not an alternative to competencies, EPAs provide a means to translate competencies into clinical practice.  The speaker will elaborate on how EPAs and entrustment decision making are being adopted in a variety of healthcare education environments and the experiences of these early adopters.

Participation in this workshop will enable delegates to:

1. Compare and contrast the concepts of EPAs and competencies in competency-based education.
2. Understand the significance of entrustment decisions in the assessment of trainees
3. Discuss with colleagues how EPAs are currently being used in competency-based education programs.

B: Competency-based Education, work-based assessment (WBA) and portfolios:  simple theory, intractable practice?

Presented by Professor Marjan Govaerts MD PhD, Associate professor Department of Educational Development and Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands

This session will focus on the role of WBA and portfolios in competency-based education programs and sharing key lessons learned in implementation of these assessment strategies. Both assessment of learning, assessment for learning and inherent tensions will be explored in the context of these assessment strategies. 

Participation in this workshop will enable delegates:

1. Compare and contrast various assessment strategies of WBA and portfolio assessment.
2. Discuss with colleagues the applicability of WBA and portfolio assessment strategies in dental education and reflect upon how WBA and portfolios are currently being used in competency-based dental education (CBDE).

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Tasks

The workshop will then progress to two specific tasks:

Task 1:  EPAs, WBA, and Portfolios:  Conducting a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis for Dental Education

Facilitators: Drs. Olle ten Cate & Marjan Govaerts

Working in small groups, the participants will put together a SWOT Analysis of the assessment strategies discussed in the morning keynote addresses.  Tapping into the expertise in the room, the SWOT analysis will be directed toward the use of EPAs, WBA and Portfolios as assessment strategies in dental education.

Objectives:  At the completion of this portion of the workshop participants of all groups will be able to:

1. Report back to all participants in the workshop the results of their group SWOT analysis.
2. Compare and contrast the results of the SWOT analyses in the context of an international community of dental educators.

Task 2: So where do we go from here?

Facilitators: Drs. Olle ten Cate & Marjan Govaerts

The literature around competency-based education is conclusive about the need to expand our concept of assessment.  This session will explore how dental education can move forward in the adoption of assessment strategies that are considered “best practices” in competency-based education programs. 

Objectives:  At the completion of this portion of the workshop participants will be able to:

1. Discuss with colleagues the strategies that emerged from the session for the adoption of assessment strategies considered “best practices” in competency-based dental educational programs.
2. Construct a proposal to share with colleagues back at their home institutions about how their dental programs could adopt/enhance the assessment strategies discussed during the day.