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NSHCS Online Assessment System Improves Patient Care
Setting the Scene
The National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS), part of Health Education England has pioneered national scientist training in the UK, producing scientists who are changing patient and clinical outcomes, contributing to multi-professional working and leading in many areas of innovation and translational research in the NHS.
NSHCS are the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) approved education provider for the NHS’s postgraduate Scientist Training Programme (STP): a three-year programme of work-based learning, supported by a University accredited master’s degree. The aim of the STP is to produce graduates who will possess the essential knowledge, skills, experience and attributes required of a newly-qualified Clinical Scientist in the NHS.
The Challenge
As part of the STP programme NSHCS run the programme’s final exit assessment (the Independent Assessment of Clinical Competence) to verify the readiness to practise of newly qualified, threshold entry Clinical Scientists.
Having a robust, reliable, trustworthy digital assessment solution was very important to NSHCS since those qualifying have a direct impact on patient care and outcomes. NSHCS required a solution that would enable candidates to upload evidence in the form of a portfolio document for marking. This document then needed to be made available for use by assessors as the basis for a subsequent video interview.
Due to their remit spanning the four UK nations, NSHCS wanted to make it easy for candidates to upload their portfolio document, regardless of location. Other requirements for the STP exit assessment and for other assessments run by the NSHCS included the ability to support a mixture of question and assessment types, to ensure that assessments are fair, as well as the ability to provide feedback to candidates.
After looking for external help, NSHCS chose to work with eCom as they were impressed with our capabilities, reputation and because we were able to fulfil all of their requirements.
The Solution
Our flexible online assessment system, eNetAssess, is the backbone of the solution for NSHCS. This reliable and secure online assessment platform enables candidates to upload their portfolio document during a defined period. Candidates can choose to update their submission until the deadline date, after which, the portfolio document becomes available to the assessor for them to review and mark over a set period of time. The system then combines this with the outcome of a video interview and calculates the candidate’s overall result, based on pre-defined criteria set by NSHCS.
eNetAssess easily supports the range of examination formats that NSHCS requires across the entirety of assessments that it runs, including multiple choice questions and long form essays as well as observational assessment or portfolio pieces. Also, as eNetAssess is a cloud-based eAssessment platform, candidates can easily upload their evidence from wherever they are based.
The Benefits
Using eCom’s flexible online assessment platform, eNetAssess, has enabled NSHCS to streamline their assessment process.
Indeed due to the versatility of eNetAssess, with the ability to offer multiple choice questions, long essay exams as well as observational assessment capability or portfolio pieces, multiple project teams can utilise the system for other exams offered by NSHCS, resulting in potentially significant savings.
Because eCom is experienced in providing tailored learning solutions, we were able to offer NSHCS exactly what they wanted within a short space of time and ensure that everything was running smoothly. Feedback from candidates has also been positive - testament to the strong performance and reliability of eNetAssess.
We look forward to a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership with NSHCS.
What our clients have to say
Using eCom’s flexible online assessment platform, eNetAssess, has enabled NSHCS to streamline their assessment process.
