PHVIT9530 Assessment and Methods of Measurement Course description

This course offers an overview and adopts a critical perspective of different types of mapping, testing, and evaluation of health-related activities at individual, group, and society levels. The course covers mapping, testing, and evaluating quality of life, mental health, physical health, functional ability, and disease mechanisms. It will take a critical look at the classification of measurement methods as disease-specific vs. generic, and self-reported vs. performance-based, as well as screening vs. diagnostics, quantitative vs. qualitative evaluation, and standardisation vs. individualisation.

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On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The PhD candidate

• is at the forefront of knowledge of conceptual understanding and of theories on the significance of different types of scientific instruments for measuring, testing, evaluating, and assessing health
• is at the forefront of knowledge of national and international mapping systems for health indicators

Skills

The PhD candidate can

• critically evaluate different theories and approaches with methodological significance for measuring, testing, evaluating, and assessing
• apply measurement methods, testing, evaluation, and assessment to his or her own research project
• critically reflect on and evaluate different psychometric properties of measurement methods, tests, evaluations, and assessments
• address the results of mapping, testing, and evaluation applied in health science research

General competence

The PhD candidate can

• discuss ethical and social issues associated with different types of measurement methods, testing, evaluation, and assessment
• present and discuss knowledge of methods of measurement, testing, and evaluation in the health sciences

Work and teaching methods consist of lectures, seminars, self-study, and practical exercises in the use of different software programmes for statistical analysis The outcomes of the seminars are presented and discussed in plenary sessions.

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Candidates must write an essay based on a problem of their choice and discuss theoretical and research challenges associated with the use of one or multiple methods of measurement. The essay must consist of up to 5,000 words and must be submitted no more than 2 weeks after the end of the course.

All

Pass / Fail

This is a practical course where knowledge and skills acquired from previous courses are used in practical work. The practical training must therefore be taken at establishments where the purpose is to provide training or conduct change work based on concrete issues. The course is taken full-time over six weeks, unless otherwise agreed. The average work week is 30 hours, totalling 180 hours for the whole period. Practical training may entail shift work, days and evenings.