10.4225/03/581a84b330ddb Lynette Pretorius Lynette Pretorius Carolyn Bailey Carolyn Bailey Maureen Miles Maureen Miles Constructive alignment and the Research Skills Development Framework: using theory to practically align graduate attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks in undergraduate midwifery Monash University 2016 Constructive Alignment RSD Research Skills Development Framework Graduate Attributes Problem-Based Learning Assessment Higher Education Education Midwifery Health Care 2016-11-03 00:28:31 Journal contribution https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Constructive_alignment_and_the_Research_Skills_Development_Framework_using_theory_to_practically_align_graduate_attributes_learning_experiences_and_assessment_tasks_in_undergraduate_midwifery/4197930 Midwifery educators have to provide students with stimulating curricula that teach academic and vocational content, as well as transferable skills. The Research Skills Development (RSD) framework provides a conceptual model that allows educators to explicitly scaffold the development of their students’ research skills. This paper aims to demonstrate the effective use of the RSD framework and constructive alignment theory to redesign a second-year Midwifery assessment task. The assessment task was changed into a scenario-based question to better reflect the unit learning objectives and expected graduate attributes. Students were provided with extra time in class to explore the assessment task in a peer environment. Following the return of their assessments, students were asked to complete a questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment redesign. We show that using a constructively aligned scenario-based assessment task in a second year unit more successfully articulated the expected graduate attributes of midwives. Qualitative and quantitative feedback suggested that students and staff appreciated a more clinically-relevant assessment task. This paper demonstrates that the use of the RSD framework to constructively align graduate attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks allows for the transformation of undergraduate assessment into a learning experience relevant to clinical practice.