Abstract
BackgroundConcept maps demonstrate relationships between concepts visually, allowing connections to develop the learner's cognition. Despite studies that demonstrate the value of this method, it has still not been adopted in mainstream nursing education as an assessment tool.AimThe aim of this study is to evaluate the use of the concept map as an assessment tool in nursing education. MethodsThis study was conducted following the one-shot experimental design. One exam paper was designed to be given to participants at the final examination of a core shared undergraduate nursing/midwifery module. The target sample of the study were undergraduate first year students (N = 185). Following initial exposure of student nurses/midwives, during the Autumn semester, concept maps were included into the final exam. These were evaluated and compared with another of the most traditional assessment methods, the multiple-choice question type (MCQ). Quantitative statistical analysis of the concept map and MCQ grades were conducted. Statistical tests were used to compare all pairs of both types of papers. ResultsAll paired t-test results were found to be statistically significant and effect size results also supported the statistically significant results. Concept maps' structure allows the assessment of the totality of concepts of a specific area/section of the material. MCQs can assess one aspect/detail of a concept at a time without the limitation to draw material from a specific area/section. When used together, educators can use these different features in assessing student's knowledge/understanding on the totality of taught material. Additional advantage of the concept map is its straightforward, objective and quick correction process. ConclusionThe study provides evidence that the concept map can be a trusted assessment tool for identifying the nursing students' gaps in knowledge and comprehension.
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