A panoramic perspective on the validity of assessment in health sciences

Abstract

Validity is the most important quality of an assessment. However, it is often a poorly understood concept among health sciences educators (professors, clinical educators, etc.). This article aims to help health sciences educators understand how to document or evaluate the validity of an assessment. It addresses the validation of an assessment using qualitative and quantitative methods from the perspective of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014), the most widely recognized approach. The different sources of validity evidence are described, along with explanations of how they can be documented in the context of health sciences education.