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Actor-network theory and the OSCE: formulating a new research agenda for a post-psychometric era

Actor-network theory and the OSCE: formulating a new research agenda for a post-psychometric era The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a ubiquitous part of medical education, although there is some debate about its value, particularly around possible impact on learning. Literature and research regarding the OSCE is most often situated within the psychometric or competency discourses of assessment. This paper describes an alternative approach: Actor-network-theory (ANT), a sociomaterial approach to understanding practice and learning. ANT provides a means to productively examine tensions and limitations of the OSCE, in part through extending research to include social relationships and physical objects. Using a narrative example, the paper suggests three ANT-informed insights into the OSCE. We describe: (1) exploring the OSCE as a holistic combination of people and objects; (2) thinking about the influences a checklist can exert over the OSCE; and (3) the implications of ANT educational research for standardisation within the OSCE. We draw from this discussion to provide a practical agenda for ANT research into the OSCE. This agenda promotes new areas for exploration in an often taken-for-granted assessment format. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Advances in Health Sciences Education Springer Journals

Actor-network theory and the OSCE: formulating a new research agenda for a post-psychometric era

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References (56)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 by Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Subject
Education; Medical Education
ISSN
1382-4996
eISSN
1573-1677
DOI
10.1007/s10459-017-9797-7
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a ubiquitous part of medical education, although there is some debate about its value, particularly around possible impact on learning. Literature and research regarding the OSCE is most often situated within the psychometric or competency discourses of assessment. This paper describes an alternative approach: Actor-network-theory (ANT), a sociomaterial approach to understanding practice and learning. ANT provides a means to productively examine tensions and limitations of the OSCE, in part through extending research to include social relationships and physical objects. Using a narrative example, the paper suggests three ANT-informed insights into the OSCE. We describe: (1) exploring the OSCE as a holistic combination of people and objects; (2) thinking about the influences a checklist can exert over the OSCE; and (3) the implications of ANT educational research for standardisation within the OSCE. We draw from this discussion to provide a practical agenda for ANT research into the OSCE. This agenda promotes new areas for exploration in an often taken-for-granted assessment format.

Journal

Advances in Health Sciences EducationSpringer Journals

Published: Oct 12, 2017

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