How Digital Assessment Is Enhancing the Training Experience for the Clinical Psychology and Allied Health Professionals of the Future
The sudden and unprecedented shutdown of university campuses due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to face the most jarring and rapid change of perhaps any profession in history. With very little notice, educators were asked to quickly create a virtual learning environment. Online learning became the default with many employing a simple “remote learning” approach via live Zoom classes. This presented challenges for both educators and trainees alike including isolation, lack of motivation in online learners and technical difficulties with online teaching tools.
Standardised tests are an important part of clinical assessment practices and are extremely useful scientific instruments that inform, but do not replace, professional judgement. They are created for use and interpretation by highly trained professionals who also take into account the client’s history and other test scores. They can be used to provide a consistent means to document patient progress and identify patterns of strengths and weakness to develop an intervention and treatment plan.
At Pearson Clinical Assessment, we have a comprehensive portfolio of research-based tests that are valid, reliable and represent the highest technical quality in assessments today. We are particularly noted for our gold-standard assessment contributions in cognition, memory, neuropsychology, behaviour,psychopathology, achievement, and language. With this in mind, the question we’ve been asked most by educators during (and post) COVID-19 has been “How can I better support my trainees in developing competencies in standardised assessment?”.
Introducing the Digital Assessment Library for Universities (DALU)
With the increased need for blended learning, and face–to–face assessments not always possible at university clinics, Pearson Clinical Assessment made a wide range of our most popular digital test manuals and stimulus books available on our digital platforms, Q–global and Q–interactive.
The Digital Assessment Library for Universities (DALU) provides a remote teaching solution for university educators, plus gives students and staff the ability to practice assessments via a telehealth platform and also review assessment content online in their own time.
Dr Fiona J Gullon-Scott BSc (hons) PhD CPsychol CSci AFBPsS Consultant Chartered Psychologist and HCPC Practitioner Psychologist said:
"We have really valued having access to the Digital Assessment Library for Universities (DALU) for our Clinical Psychology Doctoral Trainees here at Newcastle University. With Covid-19 leading to a rapid switch to online teaching and learning, we had to explore ways for our Trainees to be able to access core psychometric and neuropsychological assessment materials for their practical exams, their general learning, and their case studies and their research projects. At Newcastle, we have a Neuropsychology pathway that runs through our clinical psychology programme, and trainees need to show competence in administering key cognitive assessments such as the WAIS-IV. With no facility to do this hands-on during the pandemic access to the DALU to allow them to see the manual and access the teaching materials versions of the forms was invaluable to their learning, with neuropsychology teachers able to direct them to relevant materials, and for us to be able to screen share teaching resources within Zoom classrooms. Since then, there has of course been a huge switch to online or remote delivery of assessments or hybrid assessments, and again for our trainees to be able to access so many relevant materials for their learning through the DALU has really helped them build their understanding and confidence and has allowed them to explore some of the features provided by Q-Global - a system used in several of their placements."
At Pearson Clinical Assessment, our selection of innovative research-based digital tools help to transform the way the next generation of psychologists and allied health professionals experience standard assessments. Find here testimonies from Educational and Clinical Psychologists on on how moving to digital assessment has benefited their practices.
The Digital Assessment Library for Universities (DALU) simple annual subscription gives staff and students easy, remote access to some of Pearson’s most popular test manuals and stimulus material on our digital assessment platforms - perfect for trainees professional development as they move forward into practice!
Find out more about the Digital Assessment Library for Universities (DALU).
About the Author
Robert Reilly-Craig BA
Robert is the UK Country Director for Pearson Clinical Assessment EMEA.