BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEReflection and self-assessment are keystones to professionalism and skill acquisition and are integral components of clinical practice, leading many to advocate that these constructs be integrated in the educational preparation of physical therapists (PTs).1'3 Student ability to assess their own professional behaviors, patient interactions, and application of skills, as well as learning to manage and synthesize constructive criticism, are aptitudes emphasized in the Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education.4 At the forefront of this discussion are the questions of how to teach self-assessment as an ongoing component of professional life and how to evaluate the ability of students to critically analyze their behaviors and perform effectivelyThe purpose of this study was to explore the use of videotaping during PT student practical examinations as a mechanism to promote self-assessment of skills and reflection on both positive and negative professional communication behaviors associated with the therapist-patient interaction. Additionally, the use of video self-assessment for improving student scores and instructor accuracy in scoring practical examinations (live versus using a videotape) performance was explored. The authors hypothesized that student self-assessment of their videotaped practical examination would lead to improved accuracy in grading themselves, higher final practical examination scores, and would foster student reflection of their technical skills and professional behaviors. Additionally, it was theorized that faculty would be more precise while viewing the practical on video.REVIEW OF LITERATUREVideotaping as a teaching strategy has been advocated in the education of health professionals in medicine, physical therapy, psychology, chiropractic, pharmacy, and nursing.1, 3'23 Videotaping allows students to directly witness their own performance, providing a unique feedback mechanism.5,10,11,24,23 Selfevaluation involves having students make judgments about their own performance26 and videotaping offers a mechanism to promote student self-awareness of both positive and negative behaviors. Videotaping can be utilized in the educational setting by instructors for self-assessment of their communication effectiveness during teaching,2 '29 and by students to practice techniques,5,9,22,23,30 self-evaluate behaviors and skills,30,31 improve mastery of clinical skills, and improve communication during practical examinations.18,32 In PT education, there is only 1 published study utilizing video to compare patient evaluation skills via interacting directly with a simulated patient versus viewing a videotape of a simulated patient interacting with a clinician.16 While this study utilized a video option in a class assignment, a video was not used during practical examination or self-assessment of student performance.Videotape Class Assignments to Enhance Professional Behavior and Clinical SkillsStudents can be given a self-videotaping assignment to facilitate learning clinical skills. There are multiple studies documenting the effectiveness of this practice.3,22,23,30 Winters et al30 utilized videotaped assignments in 3 fundamental baccalaureate nursing courses where students, working in groups of 3 (role of nurse, patient, and videographer), had to submit a videotape along with peer and selfevaluations of a mock physical examination, demonstrating specific skills and practicing effective communication. While many students felt the videotaping assignments were tedious and did not allow for sufficient faculty feedback, the majority reported that the repeated practice required for the videotaped assignments resulted in better skill acquisition and increased self-confidence. In this and other studies,10,11,13,22,23 students report that videotaped assignments are initially stressful, but repetitive exposure to the assignments and the repeated practice during taping increased comfort and competency. …