What is evidence?

Evidence is something that makes it clear that

(a) you have understood what is required of you and

(b) you have completed a task or activity to a competent level

It is something that you use to assure me, your tutor or assessor, that you understood and applied the knowledge, skills and attitude required to show competence; it is something that you use to make your learning and understanding visible.  The responsibility lies with you to ensure that it is evident and clear, from your description and analysis of what you have done and from any images or recordings that you have used, that you are competent. You can also use links to published literature to demonstrate that you understood and applied the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to show that you are competent.  It is important that you make it evident why the literature links to your learning and that you integrate the literature as evidence to support your learning.

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How much evidence is enough?

This depends on a number of factors and therefore should be discussed specifically with your course coordinator. It depends on the

(a) course/programme that you are studying  - medicine, nursing, pharmacy etc

(b) year of study - 1^st year, 2^nd year and so on

(c) level of qualification you are pursuing e.g. degree, masters, PhD etc.

You will have to satisfy your course coordinator, laboratory demonstrator, or placement facilitator with the evidence that you supply, but it is also essential that you are happy with the evidence yourself. Have you demonstrated that you completed or attained a certain level of competency in a task to your own satisfaction? Being able to evaluate your own performance and identify your own continuing professional development is an essential component of your development as a healthcare professional.

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What type/kinds of evidence do I need to use/can I use?

The following is a brief outline of different types of evidence that you can consider supplying. It may be necessary to use a variety of evidence types in order to depict your experience in a cohesive and convincing fashion.

(a) A written description of what you did in your own words and how it links to the behaviour or competencies you were required to achieve.
(b) An image or an artefact, e.g. a photograph of a bandage that you placed on a wound (being very careful that you do not breach ethics and patient privacy) or a photograph of the dispensary layout in the pharmacy.
(c) A video recording of an event, (ensuring ethics and patient privacy are considered and informed consent is always sought in advance).
(d) A published paper, with essential parts highlighted or specific supporting phrases quoted and put into context to support your own argument.
(e) Suitably sourced YouTube (or otherwise) clips that are properly discussed and integrated into your work to provide evidence of your learning.
(f) Artefacts that you create yourself to show your learning and development, e.g. PowerPoint presentations, Prezi presentations, videoscribes, screencasts, webpages etc. to demonstrate how you have applied your learning to practice and linked theory to practice.

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How do we show achievement of a competency?

You will be asked to complete activities relevant to your profession. It is widely agreed that measuring ‘competence’ is difficult. It can be abstract and subjective. The tasks/activities required need to be doable, observable and measurable. Successful completion of a number of these activities, consistently, indicates ability and competency. Consistent ability to demonstrate completion of disciplinary tasks requiring the knowledge, skills and attitudes expected in relation to professional standards set out by the respective accreditation bodies is essential. Reflection and appropriate use of evidence can be used to demonstrate fulfillment of specific activities, and consistent fulfillment can be used to demonstrate competency.

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