The hidden labours of designing the Objective Structured Clinical Examination: a Practice Theory study.

Bearman, M; Ajjawi, R; Bennett, S; Boud, D

The hidden labours of designing the Objective Structured Clinical Examination: a Practice Theory study.

Bearman, M Ajjawi, R Bennett, S Boud, D

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Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract, 2021, 26, (2), pp. 637-651
Issue Date:: 2021-05

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bearman, M
dc.contributor.author	Ajjawi, R
dc.contributor.author	Bennett, S
dc.contributor.author	Boud, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6883-2722
dc.date.accessioned	2022-07-03T19:57:33Z
dc.date.available	2020-11-03
dc.date.available	2022-07-03T19:57:33Z
dc.date.issued	2021-05
dc.identifier.citation	Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract, 2021, 26, (2), pp. 637-651
dc.identifier.issn	1382-4996
dc.identifier.issn	1573-1677
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/158561
dc.description.abstract	Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have become ubiquitous as a form of assessment in medical education but involve substantial resource demands and considerable local variation. A detailed understanding of the processes by which OSCEs are designed and administered could improve feasibility and sustainability. This exploration of OSCE design is informed by Practice Theory, which suggests assessment design processes are dynamic, social and situated activities. The overall purpose is to provide insights that inform on-the-ground OSCE administration. Fifteen interviews were conducted with OSCE academics and administrators from three medical schools in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Drawing from post-qualitative inquiry, Schatzki's Practice Theory was used both as a sensibility and as an analytic framework. OSCE design was characterised by planning activities, administration activities, negotiation activities and bureaucratic activities; it involves significant and resource-intensive effort in negotiation and coordination. There was considerable local variation but at the same time activities were remarkably consonant across national boundaries. There was a tension between general understandings such as reliability and validity that underpin the OSCE and the improvisational practices associated with design and administration. Our findings highlighted the role of blueprints as a key coordinating artefact but with too many rules and procedures prompting cycles of bureaucracy and complexity. Emphasising coordination rather than standardisation might ease workloads, support adaptation to local environments and prevent an overly reductive approach to this assessment format.
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation.ispartof	Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10459-020-10015-w
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
dc.subject.classification	Medical Informatics
dc.subject.mesh	Clinical Competence
dc.subject.mesh	Education, Medical
dc.subject.mesh	Educational Measurement
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Reproducibility of Results
dc.subject.mesh	Schools, Medical
dc.title	The hidden labours of designing the Objective Structured Clinical Examination: a Practice Theory study.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	26
utslib.location.activity	Netherlands
utslib.for	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FASS Faculty Administration
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-07-03T19:57:32Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	26
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have become ubiquitous as a form of assessment in medical education but involve substantial resource demands and considerable local variation. A detailed understanding of the processes by which OSCEs are designed and administered could improve feasibility and sustainability. This exploration of OSCE design is informed by Practice Theory, which suggests assessment design processes are dynamic, social and situated activities. The overall purpose is to provide insights that inform on-the-ground OSCE administration. Fifteen interviews were conducted with OSCE academics and administrators from three medical schools in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Drawing from post-qualitative inquiry, Schatzki's Practice Theory was used both as a sensibility and as an analytic framework. OSCE design was characterised by planning activities, administration activities, negotiation activities and bureaucratic activities; it involves significant and resource-intensive effort in negotiation and coordination. There was considerable local variation but at the same time activities were remarkably consonant across national boundaries. There was a tension between general understandings such as reliability and validity that underpin the OSCE and the improvisational practices associated with design and administration. Our findings highlighted the role of blueprints as a key coordinating artefact but with too many rules and procedures prompting cycles of bureaucracy and complexity. Emphasising coordination rather than standardisation might ease workloads, support adaptation to local environments and prevent an overly reductive approach to this assessment format.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/158561