Chapter 15: Technology-Based Assessment in the Integrated Curriculum

This chapter describes guidelines for technology-based assessment in an integrated, competence-based curriculum. Such a curriculum may be developed on the basis of van Merriënboer’s four-component instructional design model (4C/ID-model). The curriculum then consists of (a) learning tasks, which are based on real-life tasks and range from relatively simple tasks with ample learner support and guidance to more complex professional tasks without support and guidance; (b) supportive information, which aims to develop the mental models and cognitive strategies necessary to perform non-routine aspects (i.e., problem solving, reasoning) of tasks; (c) procedural information, which aims to develop the cognitive rules necessary to perform routine aspects of tasks; and (4) part-task practice, which aims to develop selected routine aspects to a high level of automaticity. For the highest levels of Miller’s pyramid, guidelines for assessment in the integrated curriculum are presented and illustrated for the medical domain. For the educational setting, the assessment of part tasks and whole tasks is described at the “shows how” level; for the professional setting, the assessment of whole tasks is described at the “does” level. Together, discussed technologies provide the theoretical building blocks to underpin future assessment technologies.