Test Blueprint, Essay Example

Introduction

Establishing a testing mechanism to educate students and provide them with new forms of knowledge that they will retain requires an evaluation of the possible methods that are available to meet these requirements and to enable educators to address a set of topics in a comprehensive manner. Testing is a complex process that requires much thought and consideration in order to maximize the potential benefits to students; therefore, the adoption of a blueprint to establish an effective testing strategy is critical. It is important for a teacher to examine his or her options with respect to the blueprint model and to recognize the importance of different criteria that are essential to the testing method that is chosen, using a blueprint as a guide. The target population is second year, fourth semester Associate Degree students at El Camino College Compton who require education regarding the excretory renal system in order to prevent kidney failure. It is expected that the student will receive a grade of 80 percent or higher on the unit test after receiving the course content.

Guidelines Regarding the Development of a Test Blueprint

A test blueprint requires a number of theoretical perspectives that serve as the underlying principles behind the formation of the test questions and the knowledge that is acquired by students. For example, cognitive learning theory is used to examine the acquisition and retention of knowledge and how it is applicable to a given setting, while the adult education framework is used to support adult learners and their full immersion into the learning experience so that students are able to embrace knowledge and apply it to their environments (Mention, 2014). This process also encourages educators to identify specific topics that are critical to the student’s learning curve within a particular subject, along with degrees of complexity and how many items per topic will be included (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013). This is an important step towards the identification of knowledge that will be useful in improving learning outcomes for the designated student population and in meeting their needs effectively (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013). Each circumstance is unique; therefore, teachers must be able to reconcile the most critical learning needs versus those that are less relevant to the given subject matter so that students possess the best possible level of preparedness to treat patients in the future in a successful manner (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013).

Perhaps most important to the discussion is the test blueprint provides a level of expectation for students regarding the knowledge that they are expected to learn so that they are able to achieve the desired level of performance in the testing environment (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013). This process also requires teachers to establish these expectations as early as possible and to recognize how to best overcome any areas of doubt that students might have regarding the test so that they are able to perform to the best of their ability in the testing environment (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013). Through the development of a test blueprint, it is likely that a teacher will develop an improved understanding of students’ potential early on in the course and will establish a framework for supporting their growth potential and knowledge acquisition as best as possible (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013).

Evaluating the level of competency that nursing students possess requires teachers to focus on testing not as an insurmountable challenge, but as an opportunity to provide students with items that are not only practical but are also appropriate for the subject matter in question (Sutherland, Schwartz, & Dickison, 2012). This process is instrumental in enabling students to have a better grasp of the material and to be proactive in promoting success and accomplishment for students who have practical knowledge of the material that is also applicable to patients in real time (Sutherland et.al, 2012). Most importantly, the key criteria for developing a testing blueprint includes the following: “the strong alignment of a test item with the measurement of the examinee’s grasp of knowledge, the inclusion of important rather than nonessential concepts, the differentiation of competent from incompetent examinees by items of appropriate difficulty, and the creation of a fair examination consisting of appropriate and applicable items” (Sutherland et.al, 2012, p. 35). In this context, it is important to identify how nurse educators might develop a test blueprint to enhance students’ knowledge, and an example of said blueprint will follow.

Test Blueprint

The proposed test blueprint must provide an opportunity to examine the different areas of knowledge that are pertinent to the chosen subject matter, given the importance of the topic and what nursing students must acquire and retain in order to treat their patients in the future. The test blueprint may resemble the following:

The proposed test blueprint has identified some of the most important criteria that is associated with nursing students’ knowledge of the renal system and how this knowledge might be applied to situations involving real patients who are at risk for renal failure. This process requires nurse educators to be proactive and practical in sharing their test blueprints with students and to obtain the necessary feedback to make changes as necessary that will have a positive impact on student learners. These factors are critical because they have a significant impact on the learning potential of students, particularly when they are provided with a learning framework that is aligned with their needs and that aims to provide students with practical knowledge and training that they will be able to use throughout their careers.

Conclusion

The example test blueprint provides a basis for a nursing instructor to guide his or her students towards a greater understanding of the renal system and the steps that are required to prevent renal disease. This blueprint supports the different types of learning theories that support student nurses and provide them with a framework for acquiring critical knowledge that will guide them in learning how to treat patients successfully. This is a critical component of the learning process for student nurses and supports their ability to perform effectively in a test environment, particularly when teachers recognize the value of educating their students based upon specific knowledge that will be most practical in meeting their needs in a real time setting.

References

Mention, C. (2014). Teaching plan. Pp. 1-14.

Oermann, M.H., & Gaberson, K.B. (2013). Evaluation and Testing in Nursing Education: Fourth Edition. Springer Publishing Company.

Sutherland, K., Schwartz, J., & Dickison, P. (2012). Best Practices for Writing Test Items. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 3(2), 35-39.