title: Assessment of the quality and applicability of an e-portfolio capstone assessment item within a bachelor of midwifery program.
abstract: Education programs leading to professional licencing need to ensure assessments throughout the program are constructively aligned and mapped to the specific professional expectations. Within the final year of an undergraduate degree, a student is required to transform and prepare for professional practice. Establishing assessment items that are authentic and able to reflect this transformation is a challenge for universities. This paper both describes the considerations around the design of a capstone assessment and evaluates, from an academics perspective, the quality and applicability of an e-portfolio as a capstone assessment item for undergraduate courses leading to a professional qualification. The e-portfolio was seen to meet nine quality indicators for assessment. Academics evaluated the e-portfolio as an authentic assessment item that would engage the students and provide them with a platform for ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. The processes of reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, comparison of clinical experiences with national statistics, preparation of professional philosophy and development of a curriculum vitae, whilst recognised as comprehensive and challenging were seen as highly valuable to the student transforming into the profession.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, University Drive, Meadowbrook, Queensland, 4131, Australia. Electronic address: k.baird@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, University Drive, Meadowbrook, Queensland, 4131, Australia. Electronic address: j.gamble@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gamble
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, University Drive, Meadowbrook, Queensland, 4131, Australia. Electronic address: m.sidebotham@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sidebotham
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D013338:Students, Nursing
keywords: Capstone assessment; Student midwives