The Group-based Assessment Approach in Nursing Education: The Perspective of Nursing Students on Group-based Assessment Process at a Namibian University

Abstract

Group-based assessments used in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (clinical) Honours programme at a public university in Namibia are usually in the form of assignments and projects. Completing tasks in groups helps students to develop important skills like critical thinking and debating. In addition, it prepares them to work in the health-care environment where collaboration with others is required. That said, nursing students lack cooperation during the process of completing their group assignments or projects. A classroom-based research was conducted using action research as the design. The objectives were to: explore what is causing lack of cooperation during group-based assessment as perceived by nursing students, and to propose, implement and evaluate measures to improve cooperation during group-based assessment task completion.  

Themes that emerged as factors contributing to a lack of cooperation are: student motivation, student personal characteristics, lack of planning to approach the allocated task, student learning approaches, communication-related issues, and group composition and allocation procedures. The proposed measures of students to ensure cooperation are: selection of group leaders, determining lecturer roles in facilitating group assessment, improving communication, and involvement of students in the allocation procedures of group members.

All suggestions were successfully implemented. Evaluation of measures to ensure cooperation revealed that students appreciated the group-based approach strategy given its very positive impact on their learning.