Dr Ramirez’s rewritten task

Dr Sofia Ramirez sets a familiar assessment task in her Health Sciences subject.

Write a 1,500-word case analysis exploring the factors contributing to patient non-compliance in chronic disease management.

As you complete this task, focus on:

• analysing contributing factors using evidence from academic literature
• comparing different approaches to patient care
• communicating your recommendations clearly and professionally

• analysing information
• evaluating evidence
• applying professional judgement
• constructing arguments and recommendations
• communicating complex ideas clearly
• connecting theory with real-world practice

Write a 1,500-word case analysis exploring the factors contributing to patient non-compliance in chronic disease management.

As you complete this task, focus on:

• analysing contributing factors using evidence from academic literature (critical thinking)
• comparing different approaches to patient care and evaluating possible responses (problem solving and professional judgement)
• communicating your recommendations clearly and professionally for a healthcare audience (communication)

These skills are used regularly in healthcare and professional environments. Analysing evidence, making informed decisions, and communicating clearly are important across workplaces, further study, and professional practice.

The assessment task, academic standard, and learning outcomes have not changed, but the second version makes the skills more visible.

It helps learners see not only what they are learning about, but also the skills and capability they are developing and how these transfer beyond the university context.

Using skills language

This is what it looks like to translate a teaching and learning activity into skills language.

You do not need to redesign your curriculum or rewrite every assessment task. Often, it is just small and intentional shifts in how learning is described.

Instead of focusing only on: “What needs to be completed”

we also begin highlighting: “What this demonstrates you can do”

For a learner:

In the first version, they might think: “I need to complete a case analysis.” In the second version, they are more likely to think: “I am developing critical thinking, professional judgement, and communication skills.”

That is a very different way of experiencing the same learning activity.

When we make capability more visible in this way, we help learners to:

• recognise what they are doing
• articulate it using clearer language
• identify evidence of capability within their work
• begin transferring that capability into other contexts

Personal Reflection

Think about a teaching, assessment, or workplace learning activity you regularly use.

• How might you adjust the wording slightly to make the skills and capability more visible to learners?
• Could you also create opportunities for learners to investigate how these capabilities connect to professional practice, workplaces, or lifelong learning contexts?