Abstract
This qualitative dissertation in practice followed an exploratory case study design using document analysis of interim reports to methodically review the assessment plans and measurement tools of accredited radiography programs. The goal was to understand the quality of programs’ assessment plans specifically in terms of defining, measuring, and collecting student learning data. The aim was twofold: First, to inform the professional practice setting of the current state of assessment mechanics knowledge of accredited-radiography programs and second, to make recommendations to the professional practice setting in effort to improve the assessment practices within all JRCERT-accredited educational programs. The researcher designed a meta-assessment rubric to evaluate the quality of assessment mechanics of the assessment plans. The meta-assessment rubric allowed the researcher to explore the quality of assessment plan’s goals, student learning outcomes, measurement tools, and benchmarks against the best practice performance levels of the respective rubric category. The findings suggest the understanding of assessment mechanics were lacking in the program directors or faculty responsible for the assessment plans of the case study. The implementation of a meta-assessment rubric as a programmatic self-assessment tool can benefit program directors – as the assessment leaders – in critical discernment of the quality of their program’s assessment practices. The meta-assessment rubric should allow radiography faculty the opportunity to delve deeper into the analysis of their assessment practices, determine the quality of their assessment plans, and make evidence-based decisions that support and enhance student learning, curricular reform, pedagogical changes, and faculty development. |Keywords: Assessment mechanics, outcomes assessment, meta-assessment, radiography.