Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) scholars presented a series of workshops recently explaining the most effective new methods for assessing learners in health professional education. 
The three-day symposium at WCM-Q, titled ‘Assessment in Health Professional Education’, was led by Dr Janice Hanson and Dr Amal Khidir, associate professor of paediatrics. Other speakers were Dr Mai Mahmoud, assistant professor of medicine and Dr Ziyad Mahfoud, associate professor of healthcare policy and research.
The speakers used a series of interactive sessions to explain the latest assessment methods and instruments to faculty, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, interns, residents and allied health professionals.
Effective assessment tools are essential learning aids for health professionals who rely on comprehensive feedback from tutors to ensure they have gained the advanced skills and knowledge they need to provide quality care to patients. 
Visiting expert Dr Janice Hanson, director, Educational Research and Development in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Colorado School Of Medicine, said traditional methods of assessment have often been based upon awarding grades and have tended to provide little or no narrative feedback to learners. 
“This might be effective at communicating whether someone has passed or failed an exercise, but it is extremely ineffective at explaining the reasons why someone passed or failed, what they did right and what they did wrong.
“This is why assessment tools are so valuable. If we can provide learners with comprehensive feedback, whether narratively or using other methods, they can understand what they need to do to improve, which not only helps them target their learning but also boosts morale and motivation,” added the official.
The learning activity explained the strengths and weaknesses of several different methods of learner assessment, ways to determine the validity of assessment instruments, and how to apply frameworks for evaluation to judgments about learners. The skills and knowledge taught by the workshops were applicable to both classroom-based and clinic-based learning exercises. The symposium used workshops, small and large group discussions, role-play and hands-on activities to allow participants to gain a thorough practical understanding of assessment tools. 
The event was open to participants from WCM-Q and from other health educational institutions in Qatar.