The affective domain in medical technology education

Evaluation of medical technology students often deemphasizes the affective behavioral domain. The intangible dimensions of the domain and its subsequent difficulties in measurement have been offered as rationales for this lack of curricular emphasis. The work of Klopfer and others in science education constitute a resource from which to construct an affective table of specifications for medical technology students. The Krathwohl taxonomy permits quantifications of these goals. Some techniques for such measurement (open-ended approaches, checklists, Likert scales, and semantic differentials) are reviewed. Finally, the nature of the interface between the affective and cognitive domains is analyzed. The clinical laboratory sciences educator functions as a nonverbal as well as a verbal affective role model for his/her students. This paper emphasizes the responsibility of the educator in creating flexible student assessment approaches in the domain.