Recasting Assessment in Continuing Professional Development as a Person-Focused Activity

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Development
• Assessment Theory

Background:

• Assessment is integral to health professionals' careers, often focusing on systems rather than individuals.
• Current research in continuing professional development (CPD) assessment prioritizes utility and quality over the personal experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-examine assessment within CPD, shifting focus from the object of assessment to the person undergoing it.
• To introduce and explore the concept of subjectification as a lens for understanding assessment in CPD.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of assessment in CPD.
• Application of Gert Biesta's theory of subjectification to the context of professional assessment.
• Review of existing literature on assessment in CPD.

Main Results:

• Proposes an alternative view of CPD assessment as person-centered, practice-informed, and context-bound.
• Introduces subjectification as a framework to understand assessment as a personal experience.
• Highlights the need to examine the link between assessment and the individual health professional.

Conclusions:

• Adopting a subjectification lens offers a novel approach to designing and implementing assessment in CPD.
• Further consideration by the CPD community is needed to explore the implications of this person-centered view.
• This perspective emphasizes the individual's role and experience within the assessment process.