John Egbuji¹
Megan Anakin²
1 University of Otago Medical School
2 University of Otago

Our medical school made urgent changes to how we assessed clinical skills because we were unable to conduct directly observed performances during the pandemic. We sought to mitigate the impact of this sudden change on student learning and progression decision-making. We provided students with additional learning and feedback opportunities, documenting them later in their medical programme. This situation, however, gave rise to a question about the interchangeability of assessment formats and learning opportunities in the pre-clinical years of the medical degree. 

An interpretive perspective framed this reflective exercise. We explored the idea of interchangeability by consulting the medical education assessment literature and colleagues with expertise in psychometrics and assessment. We analysed the functions of assessment described in the literature and recommendations gathered from colleagues to identify possible wanted and unwanted consequences on resources, outcomes, and student engagement. 

We constructed a rationale to support the idea that assessment formats and learning opportunities could be interchanged when resources are constrained, outcomes are long-term, and to account for the variable ways students engage with assessment and learning. This rationale is compatible with the principles of programmatic assessment and is tailored to our local context 

This type of reflective exercise may be useful to others faced with dilemmas, unexpected events, and renewal challenges to their assessment programmes. The rationale we constructed may be a productive starting point for assessment coordinators and leaders to have conversations with colleagues and students about changes to assessment practices at their institutions. 

Discussions about interchangeability can be a productive way to address challenges to assessment practices. Assessment events can be visualised as learning opportunities and distributed across the duration of a medical programme. 

A next step will be to examine the impact of this rationale on changes to assessment resource use, outcomes, and student engagement at our medical school.