PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS´ PERCEPTION OF THE PEDAGOGICAL VALUE OF RUBRICS IN DEVELOPING MANUAL SKILLS

Background:
Rubrics are used to support students´ own learning and academic performance (Andrade, 2005). They specify expectations and criteria, which facilitates self-assessment. In Physiotherapy degree, where students need support in developing manual skills after lessons, rubrics are a useful tool in helping them improve their abilities to perform different maneuvers. This situation becomes a challenge when the contents of the subject are complex and different from previous ones, as it is the case of neuro-rehabilitation. However, rubrics should ensure an effective achievement of educational objectives and competencies.

Purpose:
To determine the students´ perception of the pedagogical value of rubrics to acquire manual skills in Physiotherapy.

Methods:
A prospective survey type study was carried out. A 10-item questionnaire about the amount, completeness and coherence of information and motivating mechanisms of rubrics was developed. Four of the rubrics used in practical lessons of the third-year course Clinical Specialities IV were studied (R1: Neurodevelopment concept, R2: Orofacial physiotherapy, R3: Coordination exercises, R4: PNF). The questionnaire was answered by 158 Physiotherapy students (46.67% men, age between 20-38 years) of the University of Valencia. They were asked to indicate their level of agreement with each item for each rubric, following a Likert scale of five alternatives. A descriptive analysis for each rubric was performed. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined using the Cronbach alpha coefficient.

Results:
Average scores of each rubric showed that students had a positive perception of their pedagogical value (R1=4.4 ± 0.73; R2=3.77± 1.07; R3=4.06± 0.93; R4= 4.26± 0.81). The highest average scores coincided with the rubrics in which information was very detailed. In all of the rubrics, the highest rated items were: 7-The contents are equivalent to those studied at class (R1= 4.57±0.65, R2= 3.90±1.02, R3= 4.23±0.82, R4=4.39±0.70) and 9- It allows me to know what I’m expected to do in the exam (R1= 4.66±0.62, R2= 4.01±1.03, R3= 4.11±0.94, R4=4.35±0.77). On the contrary, no agreement were found about the lowest rated item among rubrics, though in those with less average score, item 4- clarity of information was fairly scored (R2= 3.65 ± 1.05; R3=3.97 ± 1.05). Total reliability of the questionnaire was high (Cronbach α=0.96).

Conclusions:
Physiotherapy students perceived rubrics as a pedagogically effective learning tool to develop manual skills. Therefore, they could be useful in the undergraduate education in order to help students to learn practical contents

References:
[1] Andrade H. and Du Y. (2005). Student perspectives on rubric-referenced assessment. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 10(3). Available: http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=10&n=3