The process of opportunity identification is under-emphasized in higher education; and there is a need for validated educational strategies to foster this competence in science students. In a previous study, three strategies were elaborated and evaluated in the classroom: stimulating the use of idea generation techniques, stimulating the conceptualization and evaluation of business opportunities, and promoting the transfer of knowledge and skills in opportunity identification. The focus of this validation study is on whether expert teachers use these strategies in teaching, which sub-strategies they use and whether they use additional strategies with the same objective. It was found that expert teachers frequently applied the previously reported strategies feasibly and effectively and reported various sub-strategies. Moreover, they described three additional strategies: selecting students for an elective by assessing their business idea, providing time for incubation of the business opportunity and challenging students to abandon routine problem-solving patterns.@en

Veel problemen uit de dagelijkse praktijk vergen beslissingen terwijl de beschikbare informatie onvolledig of onduidelijk is. De inbedding van deze onzekerheden in toetsen staat op gespannen voet met psychometrische kwaliteitseisen. Uitgaande van het Script Concordance Test (SCT)-format werd hiervoor een test ontwikkeld in de diergeneeskunde. Deze test is bij 148 studenten tweemaal afgenomen, aan het begin en eind van een studie-onderdeel dat is gericht op het leren oplossen van klinische problemen. Hun oordelen en beslissingen in realistische praktijksituaties werden afgezet tegen die van een groep van 28 ervaren practici. Studentscores tonen bij de hertest een significante toename van gemiddeld 4,59 punt. Individueel correleren sco- res positief (r = 0,65, p < 0,001) en is het effect groot (d = 0,89). Uit de analyses van casus en resultaten wordt geconcludeerd dat de SCT een bruikbaar instrument vormt voor toetsing van het probleemoplossen in onzekerheid, dat bij grote groepen studenten kan worden gebruikt, zonder een onaanvaardbare overbelasting van patiënten. Real-life professional problems may require ma- king decisions, although the available information is limited or ambiguous. Incorporating such au- thentic uncertainties into an assessment, how- ever, poses problems in analysing results and establishing its psychometric qualities. Based on the Script Concordance Test format, we develo- ped a test on clinical decision making in veterina- ry medicine, incorporating realistic uncertainties. This test was administered twice to 148 students, near the beginning and the end of a course in cli- nical reasoning. Their answers were compared to the judgements and decisions of 28 experienced practitioners. Student scores on the pre- and post-test show a mean improvement of 4.59 points. Individual scores correlate positively (r = 0.65) and the effect size is large (d = 0.89). From the analysis and substantive appraisal of the cases and items, it is concluded that this SCT can be used for large student groups to assess comp- etence in clinical decision making, without creat- ing a burden on patients.@en