Assessing interprofessional competence using a prospective reflective portfolio

Domac, S.; Anderson, E.; O'Reilly, M.; Smith, R.

Abstract

The assessment of interprofessional competence or capability following interprofessional education (IPE) remains essential if we are to ensure future practitioners who are able to work in teams and collaborate for improved health outcomes. Any IPE curriculum must design and describe its theoretical stance and this also applies to how learning will be assessed. This article reports on a study of the use of an IPE portfolio by students across 10 professions as a flexible framework for students to demonstrate their learning. Using a qualitative approach, the completed portfolios of a proportion of students from medicine, social work, and speech and language therapy were read, and a sub-set of students were interviewed to gain their perceptions of this assessment process. The findings are discussed in the light of the value of reflection for learning to consolidate interprofessional understanding. The study highlights how emotional and cognitive learning triggers lead to new understandings for collaborative practice reached only because students were able to reflect on their experiences. The portfolio is now summative and includes other assessment components.

Citation

Domac, S., Anderson, E., O'Reilly, M., & Smith, R. (2015). Assessing interprofessional competence using a prospective reflective portfolio. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 29(3), 179-187. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2014.983593

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 30, 2014
• Publication Date: May 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Nov 28, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 14, 2015
• Journal: Journal of Interprofessional Care
• Print ISSN: 1356-1820
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-9567
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 179-187
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2014.983593
• Keywords: Assessment of learning, Collaborative competence, Collective learning, Education, Interprofessional evaluation.