Friedrich-Nel, Hester Sophia
English: The promulgation of the SAQA Act No. 58 of 1995, following the new democracy in South Africa, is regarded as the impetus for change in higher education. It was consequently recommended that higher education institutions should implement the Outcomes-based education and training (OBET) approach. The literature review conducted in this study emphasised the move towards assessment in the OBET approach in medical and health care education. Assessment in higher education has therefore become an essential issue to deal with. Likewise, the need for educators in Health Sciences and Technology to become empowered with the principles of assessment in the OBET approach was identified. A study was conducted to revisit current assessment practices in Health Sciences and Technology at the Technikon Free State and the University of the Free State, with the OBET approach as background. The aim of the study was to compile an assessment model in OBET for Health Sciences and Technology. With the assessment model, the change to assessment in the new approach in higher education in Health Sciences and Technology could be facilitated. A questionnaire for the structured interviews was designed, based on essential elements of assessment identified in literature on assessment and the OBET approach. The structured interviews were conducted with 16 headhunted academics from Health Sciences, Technology and higher education studies from the University of the Free State and the Technikon Free State respectively from July to August 2002. The information from the structured interviews, supported and supplemented by the literature on assessment and the OBET approach, was subsequently used to compile a proposed assessment model. The statements of the proposed assessment model were fed into the questionnaire for the Delphi process. A three-round modified Delphi process, conducted from February to August 2003, was applied to rate the statements of the proposed assessment model according to essential, useful or unnecessary statements of an assessment model. The aim was to attain consensus on the ratings of the statements, with consensus defined as 80 percent of the Delphi panel in agreement. Additionally, the Delphi panel could rephrase and/or comment on the statements of the proposed assessment model. The Delphi panel, consisting of 10 members, represented five different areas in higher education and assessment. Findings of the Delphi process and the literature on assessment and the OBET approach were used to compile the final assessment model in OBET for Health Sciences and Technology. The findings of the structured interviews indicated that the participants in the study were knowledgeable about the range of innovative (performance) assessment methods. However, the participants pointed out that they lacked the knowledge and skills to optimally make use of these innovative assessment methods. This was evident from the fact that fewer than 50 percent of the participants used an appropriate range of innovative assessment methods in the questionnaire. However, it should be noted that the OBET approach had not been implemented in the relevant programmes at the participating institutions at the time of the interviews. Even so, the information obtained from the structured interviews was adequate to compile the proposed assessment model in OBET for Health Sciences and Technology. The outcome after three rounds of the modified Delphi process used in the study, was that consensus on 60 percent of the statements of the proposed assessment model had been attained. The statements were all rated as essential elements of an assessment model, with the majority of the statements achieving consensus between rounds I and II of the Delphi process. The final assessment model was presented as 65 essential and six useful statements in seven categories. With the exception of two statements, all the statements rated by the Delphi panel were included in the final assessment model. This was based on the ratings of the statements of the assessment model by the Delphi panel and verified by literature on assessment in the OBET approach. The willingness of the participants in the study to share information on successes and failures experienced in assessment practices contributed positively to the design of the assessment model. This assessment model in OBET for Health Sciences and Technology was developed, designed and compiled to perform integrated and quality assessment in the programme. The generic assessment model should provide a programme with direction to practise meaningful and holistic assessment in the OBET approach. In addition, using the assessment model in OBET for Health Sciences and Technology should add value to learning. Likewise, by means of the assessment model, assessment should be repositioned at the centre of learning activities in higher education. The information from the structured interviews proved useful to compile and develop the proposed assessment model. The three-round modified Delphi process was an effective research methodology to validate and benchmark the statements of the proposed assessment model. In addition, the assessment model could become a valuable educational tool with which assessment in Health Sciences and Technology could be repositioned as a process that matters to academics, learners, the institution, accrediting bodies, as well as current and future employers.
Afrikaans: Die aankondiging van die SAKO-Wet No. 58 van 1995 wat die nuwe demokrasie in Suid-Afrika gevolg het, word beskou as die gebeurtenis wat die momentum aan verandering in hoër onderwys geïnisieer het. Dit is gevolglik aanbeveel dat hoëronderwysinstellings die uitkomsgebaseerde onderrig en opleiding (UGOO)-benadering implementeer. Die literatuuroorsig wat gedoen is vir hierdie studie, het die beweging in die rigting van die UGOO-benadering en gesondheidsberoepeonderrig onderskryf. Assessering van leer het daarom 'n belangrike kwessie geword wat aandag behoort te geniet. Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie om bemagtig te word met die beginsels van assessering in die UGOO-benadering. 'n Studie is gedoen om die huidige assesseringspraktyke wat gebruik word in Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie by die Universiteit van die Vrystaat en die Technikon Vrystaat te hersien, met die UGOO-benadering as agtergrond. Die doelwit van die studie was om 'n assesseringsmodel in UGOO vir Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie op te stel. Hierdie assesseringsmodel behoort die verandering na assessering in die nuwe benadering in hoër onderwys in Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie te kan fasiliteer. 'n Vraelys vir gestruktureerde onderhoude is opgestel wat gebaseer is op die essensiële elemente in assessering soos geïdentifiseer uit die literatuur oor assessering en die UGOO-benadering. Die gestruktureerde onderhoude het geskied met behulp van 16 uitgesoekte akademici van Gesondheidswetenskappe, Tegnologie en hoëronderwysstudies verbonde aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat en die Technikon Vrystaat vanaf Julie tot Augustus 2002. Die inligting wat bekom is met behulp van die gestruktureerde onderhoude, ondersteun en aangevul deur die literatuur oor assessering en die UGOO-benadering, is gevolglik gebruik om 'n voorgestelde assesseringsmodel op te stel. Die stellings van die voorgestelde assesseringsmodel is gebruik in die vraelys vir die Delphiproses. 'n Gemodifiseerde Delphiproses, bestaande uit drie rondtes, is aangebied van Februarie tot Augustus 2003 en is gebruik om die stellings van die voorgestelde assesseringsmodel te klassifiseer as essensiële, bruikbare of onnodige stellings van 'n assesseringsmodel. Die doelwit was om konsensus te bereik rakende die klassifikasie van die stellings met konsensus gedefinieer as 80 persent van die Delphipaneel in ooreenstemming. Verder kon die Delphipaneel die stellings van die voorgestelde assesseringsmodel verander en/of kommentaar daarop lewer. Die Delphipaneel, bestaande uit 10 lede, het vyf verskillende areas uit hoer onderwys en assessering verteenwoordig. Die bevindings van die Delphiproses saam met die literatuur oor assessering en die UGOO-benadering is gebruik om die finale assesseringsmodel in UGOO vir Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie op te stel. Die bevindings van die gestruktureerde onderhoude het aangedui dat die deelnemers aan die studie kundig was oor die reeks van innoverende (performance) assesseringsmetodes. Die meerderheid van die deelnemers het egter aangedui dat hulle nie oor die nodige kennis en vaardigheid beskik het om hierdie innoverende assesseringsmetodes te gebruik nie. Dit was duidelik omdat die deelnemers minder as 50 persent van die reeks van innoverende assesseringsmetodes in die vraelys gebruik het. Dit is belangrik om kennis te neem dat, ten tye van die onderhoude, die UGOO-benadering nie geïmplementeer was in die relevante programme by die deelnemende instellings nie. Nieteenstaande was die inligting wat verkry is deur die gestruktureerde onderhoude voldoende om die voorgestelde assesseringsmodel in UGOO vir Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie op te stel. Die uitkoms na drie rondtes van die aangepaste Delphiproses was dat konsensus bereik is in 60 persent van die stellings. Die stellings is almal as essensiële elemente van "n assesseringsmodel beskou. Die meerderheid van die stellings het konsensus bereik tussen rondtes I en II van die Delphiproses. Die finale assesseringsmodel is voorgestel as 65 essensiële en ses bruikbare stellings in sewe kategorieë. Met die uitsondering van twee stellings, is al die stellings wat deur die Delphipaneel geklassifiseer is, ingesluit by die finale assesseringsmodel. Dit is gebaseer op die klassifikasie van die stellings van die assesseringsmodel deur die Delphipaneel en geverifieer deur die literatuur oor assessering en die UGOO-benadering. Die bereidwilligheid van die deelnemers in die studie om inligting te deel oor die suksesse en mislukkings wat ondervind is in assesseringspraktyke het positief bygedra tot die ontwerp van die assesseringsmodel. Hierdie assesseringsmodel in UGOO vir Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie is ontwikkel, ontwerp en saamgestelom geïntegreerde en kwaliteitsassessering in die program te bevorder. Die generiese assesseringsmodel behoort 'n program met die nodige riglyne te verskaf om betekenisvolle en holistiese assessering in die UGOO-benadering aan te moedig. Bykomend behoort die gebruik van die assesseringsmodel in Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie waarde toe te voeg tot die leerproses. Op dieselfde wyse behoort assessering deur middel van die assesseringsmodel herposisioneer te word om die middelpunt van leeraktiwiteite in hoër onderwys te vorm. Die inligting van die gestruktureerde onderhoude kon gunstig gebruik word om die voorgestelde assesseringsmodel saam te stel en te ontwikkel. Die aangepaste Delphiproses bestaande uit drie rondtes was 'n effektiewe navorsingsmetodologie om waarde tot die stellings van die voorgestelde assesseringsmodel toe te voeg en die standaard daarvan te bepaal. Verder behoort die assesseringsmodel 'n waardevolle onderriginstrument te word waarmee assessering in Gesondheidswetenskappe en Tegnologie herposisioneer kan word as 'n proses wat van belang is vir akademici, leerders, die instelling, akkrediteringsliggame, asook huidige en toekomstige werkgewers.