PHVIT9530 Måling og målemetoder Emneplan

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.

Active participation in class is a prerequisite to develop good understanding of the course content. Student attendance of at least 80 % is therefore mandatory to be eligible for examination. The course leader can exempt students from this requirement only under special and individual circumstances. In these cases, extensive reading of the course literature can compensate for the lack of attendance.

Mandatory assignments are evaluated as a pass or fail.

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 their 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.

None

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.

This course is primarily meant for students enrolled in a Ph.D. program. If the course leader has the capacity to take on additional students, other applicants whose educational background (Master’s degree or equivalent) is deemed relevant will be considered for admission.

The following subjects will be addressed:

• Causality, laws, and mechanisms
• Intentional explanations
• Functional explanations
• Action and rationality
• Interpretation of meaning
• Methodological individualism and collectivism
• Realism and social constructivism
• Science and values

One internal examiner

This course is primarily aimed at PhD candidates admitted to the PhD Programme in Health Sciences but is also open to other applicants. Admission requirements are a completed hovedfag, master's degree (120 credits) or equivalent qualification.

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the "Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS", by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme.