| Title | Alternative assessment approaches: Centring learning in health professions education |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Medicine |
| Status | Active |
| Duration | 3 Years |
| Initiation | 04/01/2026 |
| Project Summary | In health professions education (HPE), formative and summative assessments are used to evaluate competencies and student learning; however, traditional assessment methods often fail to provide students with tangible strategies to improve the skills they need in clinical practice. Research indicates that conventional grading reduces complex learning to a number, promoting competition for grades over deeper learning of content. Such practices decrease intrinsic motivation to learn by HPE graduates, which can negatively impact their professional competency development and meeting regulatory standards. The purpose of this project is to develop, employ, refine, and share effective and sustainable assessment practices that allow for more supportive, inclusive, and equitable approaches to evaluate and motivate learning in HPE. This project will (i) pilot alternative assessments across multiple UBC HPE courses, (ii) create open-access web-based tools and resources, and (iii) deliver educational workshops at UBC to expand alternative assessments in HPE. |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2026/2027 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Elly Park |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 17,465 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Elly Park, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (OSOT), Faculty of Medicine |