The goal of this study was to create an evaluation tool that would be the new standard for evaluating clinical competencies of interns in the field of orientation and mobility (O&M). Using results from previous research in this area, specific competency skills were identified and the O&M Clinical Competency Evaluation Matrix (CCEM) was developed. O&M university faculty were surveyed to gather content evidence. After revisions were made to the O&M CCEM, the evaluation tool was piloted with O&M clinical internship supervisors and validity and reliability evidence was examined. The combination of all the validity evidence supported the intended inferences. The content evidence showed that experts in the field agreed that the O&M CCEM as a whole was representative of the content area. The internal structure evidence showed that scores on the O&M CCEM could be interpreted as measuring clinical competency in relation to standard teaching skills, O&M specific skills, and advanced O&M instruction skills. The external structure evidence showed that scores on the O&M CCEM are related to scores on the ACVREP evaluation form. The practicality evidence showed that the tool is useful for measuring clinical competence. In addition, the internal consistency reliability evidence showed that there was consistency in ratings within dimensions and the inter-rater reliability evidence showed there was moderate consistency in ratings between supervisors.
展开▼