evaluate in assignment

Below is a list of interpretations for some of the more common directive/instructional words. These interpretations are intended as a guide only but should help you gain a better understanding of what is required when they are used. 

Communications from the Library:  Please note all communications from the library, concerning renewal of books, overdue books and reservations will be sent to your NCI student email account.

• << Previous: The Writing Process
• Next: Brainstorming Techniques >>
• Last Updated: Apr 23, 2024 1:31 PM
• URL: https://libguides.ncirl.ie/academic_writing_skills

Search suggestions update instantly to match the search query.

Essays: task words

Written Assignments

Explore what different task words mean and how they apply to your assignments

You'll need to understand what your assignments are asking you to do throughout your studies. Your assessments use 'task words' that explain what you need to do in your work.  

Task words are the words or phrases in a brief that tell you what to do. Common examples of task words are 'discuss', 'evaluate', 'compare and contrast', and 'critically analyse'. These words are used in assessment marking criteria and will showcase how well you've answered the question.

None of these words have a fixed meaning. Your lecturers may have specific definitions for your subject or task so you should make sure you have a good idea of what these terms mean in your field. You can check this by speaking to your lecturer, checking your course handbook and reading your marking criteria carefully.

Task words and descriptions

• Account for : Similar to ‘explain’ but with a heavier focus on reasons why something is or is not the way it is.
• Analyse : This term has the widest range of meanings according to the subject. Make a justified selection of some of the essential features of an artefact, idea or issue. Examine how these relate to each other and to other ideas, in order to help better understand the topic. See ideas and problems in different ways, and provide evidence for those ways of seeing them. 
• Assess : This has very different meanings in different disciplines. Measure or evaluate one or more aspect of something (for example, the effectiveness, significance or 'truth' of something). Show in detail the outcomes of these evaluations.
• Compare : Show how two or more things are similar.
• Compare and contrast : Show similarities and differences between two or more things.
• Contrast : Show how two or more things are different.
• Critically analyse : As with analysis, but questioning and testing the strength of your and others’ analyses from different perspectives. This often means using the process of analysis to make the whole essay an objective, reasoned argument for your overall case or position.
• Critically assess : As with “assess”, but emphasising your judgments made about arguments by others, and about what you are assessing from different perspectives. This often means making the whole essay a reasoned argument for your overall case, based on your judgments.
• Critically evaluate : As with 'evaluate', but showing how judgments vary from different perspectives and how some judgments are stronger than others. This often means creating an objective, reasoned argument for your overall case, based on the evaluation from different perspectives.
• Define : Present a precise meaning. 
• Describe : Say what something is like. Give its relevant qualities. Depending on the nature of the task, descriptions may need to be brief or the may need to be very detailed.
• Discuss : Provide details about and evidence for or against two or more different views or ideas, often with reference to a statement in the title. Discussion often includes explaining which views or ideas seem stronger.
• Examine : Look closely at something. Think and write about the detail, and question it where appropriate.
• Explain : Give enough description or information to make something clear or easy to understand.
• Explore : Consider an idea or topic broadly, searching out related and/or particularly relevant, interesting or debatable points.
• Evaluate : Similar to “assess”, this often has more emphasis on an overall judgement of something, explaining the extent to which it is, for example, effective, useful, or true. Evaluation is therefore sometimes more subjective and contestable than some kinds of pure assessment.
• Identify : Show that you have recognised one or more key or significant piece of evidence, thing, idea, problem, fact, theory, or example.
• Illustrate : Give selected examples of something to help describe or explain it, or use diagrams or other visual aids to help describe or explain something.
• Justify : Explain the reasons, usually “good” reasons, for something being done or believed, considering different possible views and ideas.
• Outline : Provide the main points or ideas, normally without going into detail.
• Summarise : This is similar to 'outline'. State, or re-state, the most important parts of something so that it is represented 'in miniature'. It should be concise and precise.
• State : Express briefly and clearly. 

Download our essay task words revision sheet

Download this page as a PDF for your essay writing revision notes.

Writing: flow and coherence

Writing clear sentences

Explore our top tips for writing clear sentences and download our help sheet.

• TutorHome |
• IntranetHome |
• Contact the OU Contact the OU Contact the OU |
• Accessibility hub Accessibility hub
• StudentHome

Help Centre

Assessed writing postgraduate study skills.

The written assignments you submit must address the key issues in the question in a manner that demonstrates a thorough understanding of the theories and the concepts studied. It should present your views and findings, based on well-reasoned views and judgements.

Assignment markers look for two things.

• An indication of your level of understanding
• Evidence that you are capable of independent, well-reasoned thought, application and reflection.

If you have started to develop your skills in critical reading you will have a good understanding of the literature and already formed many of your own ideas on the subjects an assignment relates to. In assignments you will often be expected to use these ideas in academic argument and critical evaluation.

Academic argument

In order to articulate and communicate your understanding, it is often necessary to translate the language of other authors into a form that represents your own perspectives and is comprehensible to your readers. In this process of translation you reflect on your understanding of the literature, and this helps you to recognise omissions in your understanding. You also call on the breadth of your knowledge to construct the arguments and counter arguments required in balanced debate.

In a similar approach to that of critical reading, if you need to make an argument for a particular theory or approach it is important that you fully understand it. You should ask yourself key questions, such as these.

• Who wrote it?
• What is their methodology or theoretical position?

You also need to make sure that you back up your position with academic opinion, facts, examples and statistics, rather than mere personal opinion. Your argument will then appear balanced rather than biased.

Take care to demonstrate that you recognise the difference between fact and conjecture. So if something only might be true, rather than is definitely true, you should make this clear by stating this suggests that... or it could be said...

Critical evaluation

An assignment question that asks you to critically evaluate something is seeking a balanced debate. Your answer should consider the positive aspects of the thesis alongside the negative aspects of the thesis.

There is a specific rationale for asking you to consider both. Very often, when first reading about a theory or a concept, the response is to form a value judgement; that is to either agree or disagree. However by thinking of both sides of the debate, both good and bad, you develop and refine your analytical skills. These skills are important as they form the foundation for robust problem solving and decision making. Furthermore they help build creativity and innovation by encouraging you to challenge how you think about things, and are crucial to the development of reflective practice. Cumulatively the impact of this is that you become more receptive to new ideas and approaches.

There are a range of study skills booklets available to students. If you're not already signed in, sign in to see them all including Thinking critically  which gives you further information on this subject.

Key points to consider include the following.

• Do you agree with what the author is saying?
• If so, why? If not, why not? Make sure that you back up your opinions by critically engaging with the text.
• Do different authors agree or disagree with each other? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

Compare and contrast academic opinion; this will make your own work stronger.

• Is the methodology utilised by your authors sound? Criticise it if it isn't, making sure to have sound reasons for your own opinions.
• Can you identify any gaps in the research? If so, state what they are and think about addressing them in your own work.

Where a critical evaluation is sought, it is important to include your own conclusions. These should take the preceding debate as their premise, and can refer back to the literature as necessary. It does not matter whether or not the marker agrees with your conclusions. However, it is important that your conclusions are justified, and based on a well-reasoned rationale.

When you refer to material in a source you've found, you can summarise or paraphrase the work, or quote directly.

It is important to get a good balance between the two. Indeed, too much quoting can appear lazy - the person reading your essay wants to know what you have to say about a particular subject or theory. You also demonstrate that you understand what you're talking about it if you paraphrase something.

Whether you paraphrase or quote material, you should always include a reference to its source.

Academic words

It is important that your work is written to professional standards and that you use appropriate academic words and terminology. However, it is also important to write clearly and accurately - these attributes should not be lost in the search for an academic style of writing.

Linking words and phrases can help you to build up an argument by linking one sentence or idea to another. Using linking words and phrases, such as moving on to... or this argument suggests... can help your argument follow a logical flow.

Last updated 4 months ago

The Open University

Follow us on social media.

• OU Accessibility statement
• Conditions of use
• Privacy policy
• Cookie policy
• Manage cookie preferences
• Student Policies and Regulations
• Student Charter
• System Status

© . . .

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• Happiness Hub
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications

How to Evaluate Essay Writing

Last Updated: April 25, 2020 References

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been viewed 39,038 times.

Essays are common assignments in high school and college. If you are a new teacher trying to evaluate student essays, then familiarizing yourself with the basic parts of an essay can also be helpful. Essays are usually broken into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In some cases, an essay may also need to include a works cited or reference page. If you also need to assign a grade to an essay, develop a rubric and deduct a set number of points for items that are missing, incomplete, or incorrect.

Evaluating the Thesis Statement and Introduction

• For example, in an essay about the first day of classes at a new school, the author might engage readers by providing a vivid description of what it was like for them to walk down the hallway for the first time.

• For example, if the essay is supposed to be about gun control, then the introduction should provide context for readers about this subject. This may be in the form of facts and statistics, an anecdote, or some background information on the controversy.
• On the other hand, a narrative essay on the first day of class at a new school would need to provide a scene from that experience or some kind of background information, such as why they had to start at a new school.

• For example, if the topic is declining bee populations, then the author might include something about how this will affect the food supply to get readers to care about the subject.
• If the essay is about a memorable family vacation, then the introduction might explain how this vacation changed the author’s perspective.

• For example, a paper about the benefits of recycling might include a thesis that reads, “Everyone should recycle because we have limited resources and recycling helps to conserve energy.”
• A narrative essay does not need to have an argument, but there should be a sentence that describes the main point of the essay, such as, “My family’s trip to Turkey taught me about different cultures, cuisines, and religions, and I learned so much about myself along the way.”

Reading the Body Paragraphs

• There would only need to be 3 body paragraphs if the essay is meant to be a 5 paragraph essay. If the essay is meant to be longer, then it should have about 2 body paragraphs per page.
• Multiply the total pages of the essay by 2 and then subtract 2 (for the intro and conclusion) to find the approximate number of body paragraphs a paper should have. For example, a 4 page essay should have about 6 body paragraphs.

• For example, if the topic sentence reads, “Polar bears require a large amount of food to sustain their body weight,” then the rest of the paragraph should expound upon what and how much polar bears eat.
• For a topic sentence that reads, “The meal consisted of a hearty goat stew for the main course, and several traditional side dishes in a variety of colors, flavors, and textures,” the paragraph should provide additional details about the meal.

• For example, if a sentence reads, “Male polar bears weight between 775 to 1,200 pounds (352 to 544 kg),” then there should be a source for this information because this is not information that most people know. [3] X Research source
• On the other hand, it would not be necessary to include a source for a sentence that reads, “Polar bears are large, white bears.”

• If a paragraph is describing a person, then the author might include details about the color of their hair, the sound of their voice, and the type of clothing they wore.
• For example, an effective descriptive paragraph might read, “Judy stood a whole head above me, but she also had an impressive afro that added about 6 inches (15 cm) to her height. She wore black Converse, ripped white jeans, a cherry red, v-neck t-shirt, and a silver locket that contained a picture of her father. Her voice was deep and raspy, as if she had smoked for 20 years, but she had never even had a puff.”

• Sequence: then, next, finally, first, second, third, last
• Cause and effect: for this reason, as a result, consequently, thus, therefore, hence
• Contrast or comparison: but, however, conversely, similarly, likewise, in the same way, also
• Example: for example, for instance, in fact, to illustrate
• Purpose: for this reason, to this end, for this purpose
• Time or place: before, after, immediately, in the meantime, below, above, to the south, nearby [6] X Research source

Reviewing the End of the Essay

• For example, if the essay was about the benefits of recycling and why it is important to recycle, then the conclusion might include a sentence that reads, “Despite all of the benefits of recycling and how easy it is to recycle, many people still don’t do it.”
• For a narrative essay that begins with a description of how nervous the author was to walk down the hall on the first day at a new school, the author could make a similar return to the introduction. The conclusion might include something like, “That first day was terrifying and walking down the hall felt like walking to my doom, but I learned that I was not the only one who felt that way.”

• For example, at the end of a narrative essay you might be left thinking about the vivid description of a favorite family meal.
• An argumentative essay may leave you thinking about the moral dilemma raised by the author regarding gun control.
• An expository essay about polar bears might leave you with a new appreciation for their size and strength.

• If the conclusion does introduce new information, note this in your evaluation.

Evaluating Cited Sources

• Make sure the citations are formatted according to the style guide listed on the assignment sheet, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago Style.

• You may not have time to do this for every single piece of evidence, especially if you have a lot of students. If this is the case, you could randomly check 1-2 pieces of evidence for each essay you grade.

• If you're in doubt about a source, use the information on the works cited page to find the original source and review it.
• Remember that the format should match the assigned style guide, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago Style.

Grading an Essay

• Some teachers and professors require students to rewrite essays that do not satisfy the basic requirements of an assignment. If you come across an essay like this, then you might want to meet with the student to discuss their options.

• Before you assign points to the criteria, rank them in order of importance for this assignment. This will help you create a points system that relates to the goal for this assignment.
• It's best to give your students a copy of the rubric when you make the assignment. This allows the students to understand your grading process and expectations.
• Introduction
• Thesis statement
• Organization
• Development of ideas

• For example, if you require students to include a thesis statement in the first paragraph to outline the paper’s argument, then you might deduct 15 points if it is missing, or 10 points if it is incomplete or incorrect.

Expert Q&A

• It's essential to clearly communicate your expectations to your students. Include all of the information they need to earn full credit in the assignment sheet, including your rubric. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you are evaluating your own essay, use the teacher’s assignment guidelines to ensure that you have included all of the required elements of an essay. Ask your teacher if you are unsure. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://writerscentre.yale-nus.edu.sg/resources/elements-of-a-good-essay/elements-of-a-good-essay/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/expository_essays.html
• ↑ https://www.livescience.com/27436-polar-bear-facts.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/descriptive_essays.html
• ↑ http://web.mit.edu/course/21/21.guide/tran-cwp.htm
• ↑ http://core.ecu.edu/hist/zipfk/guidelines_for_grading_an_essay.htm

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Jun 2, 2023

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

• Search entire site
• Search for a course
• Browse study areas

Analytics and Data Science

• Data Science and Innovation
• Postgraduate Research Courses
• Business Research Programs
• Undergraduate Business Programs
• Entrepreneurship
• MBA Programs
• Postgraduate Business Programs

Communication

• Animation Production
• Business Consulting and Technology Implementation
• Digital and Social Media
• Media Arts and Production
• Media Business
• Music and Sound Design
• Screen Arts and Production
• Social and Political Sciences
• Strategic Communication
• Writing and Publishing
• Postgraduate Communication Research Degrees

Design, Architecture and Building

• Architecture
• Built Environment
• DAB Research
• Public Policy and Governance
• Secondary Education
• Education (Learning and Leadership)
• Learning Design
• Postgraduate Education Research Degrees
• Primary Education

Engineering

• Civil and Environmental
• Computer Systems and Software
• Engineering Management
• Mechanical and Mechatronic
• Systems and Operations
• Telecommunications
• Postgraduate Engineering courses
• Undergraduate Engineering courses
• Sport and Exercise
• Palliative Care
• Public Health
• Nursing (Undergraduate)
• Nursing (Postgraduate)
• Health (Postgraduate)
• Research and Honours
• Health Services Management
• Child and Family Health
• Women's and Children's Health

Health (GEM)

• Coursework Degrees
• Clinical Psychology
• Genetic Counselling
• Good Manufacturing Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Speech Pathology
• Research Degrees

Information Technology

• Business Analysis and Information Systems
• Computer Science, Data Analytics/Mining
• Games, Graphics and Multimedia
• IT Management and Leadership
• Networking and Security
• Software Development and Programming
• Systems Design and Analysis
• Web and Cloud Computing
• Postgraduate IT courses
• Postgraduate IT online courses
• Undergraduate Information Technology courses
• International Studies
• Criminology
• International Relations
• Postgraduate International Studies Research Degrees
• Sustainability and Environment
• Practical Legal Training
• Commercial and Business Law
• Juris Doctor
• Legal Studies
• Master of Laws
• Intellectual Property
• Migration Law and Practice
• Overseas Qualified Lawyers
• Postgraduate Law Programs
• Postgraduate Law Research
• Undergraduate Law Programs
• Life Sciences
• Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Postgraduate Science Programs
• Science Research Programs
• Undergraduate Science Programs

Transdisciplinary Innovation

• Creative Intelligence and Innovation
• Diploma in Innovation
• Postgraduate Research Degree
• Transdisciplinary Learning

How to analyse your assignment task

Student comment :

I wasn’t really sure what the question was asking me to do, so I just wrote everything I knew on that topic.

Lecturer comment :

This is a well-written piece but it does not address the question that was set.  It has lots of interesting pieces of information but much of it is not relevant to the topic.  

From  UTS Business Guide to Writing

How to break down your task?

Do you start researching before you really understand what the question is asking you to do?  Take time to look at the whole question, not just highlight key words.

The two examples below demonstrate how to break down your task, word by word.  This will give you clear key words for your research terms, identify a basic structure for your assignment and should ensure you do not miss any important details.

TASK: The 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Report' recognizes that poor health cannot be explained simply by germs and genes. It involves the circumstances in which young people live; their access to health care, schools and leisure opportunities; and their homes, communities, towns and cities. It also reflects individual and cultural characteristics such as social status, gender, age and ethnicity, values and discrimination. (WHO, 2012, p,18).’ Discuss the ways in which social determinants of health contribute to the health outcomes of young people in rural Australia. Analyse how these factors have impacted on your chosen case study and suggest realistic and practical interventions to overcome risks to health among this population.

The first part sets a context for the task that follows. It often confuses students who try to ‘answer’ the context part directly. The actual task you should address starts on the sixth line. The task tells you to focus on a particular population, on the ‘theory’ of social determinants of health and how these apply to a given case study. Check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure of any detail provided.

This example demonstrates how conducting an analysis of your task can give you a working outline for your Body.

TASK: Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of safety performance measures commonly used in two engineering projects in Australia’s mining industry, one small scale and one large scale.

A dot point, skeleton structure for this assignment might look like this:

Other sources of information to help you understand your task better

• Task explanations (though sometimes there is too much information!),
• Lecturer/tutor explanations in class – keep separate notes of these,
• notes you have already taken at lecture/turorials and group discussions,
• Powerpoint slides,
• Subject readings and links to articles and websites given to you,
• Example tasks provided by some lecturers.

What is the Marking Criteria (also known as a Rubric)?

Many students are confused between the task and the Marking Criteria. 

The Marking Criteria is provided to you because it is important to be open and fair with students about how marks are allocated. Marking Criteria are usually much more general and it is not a specific instruction that you can base your writing on.  They explain the expectations of your writing across the whole of your answer; for example evidence of critical analysis, well structured, clear and concise writing.  The task tells you what topics to cover in your answer.

• Task Instructions = sets out what you have to do
• Marking Criteria = provides a guide to how marks will be allocated

The Marking Criteria can be useful to you in two ways when you are writing:

1. Establishing expectations

It sometimes gives clues about what is expected that does not appear in the question.  For example, the number of sources or examples you are expected to use, any specific sub-topics you should address and even which material you should focus on e.g. weeks 2-6 of lectures.

2. Self-checking

When you've finished your draft, imagine YOU are marking the assignment you have written; do you think you have addressed the Marking Criteria completely?  Have you missed anything?  What aspects could you improve?  For example, if the MC states there should be a clear connection between ideas, have you done this?  Have you used the number of examples or sources mentioned in the MC? 

Want help analysing your assignment task? Book a consultation session  with our Learning Advisors.

Contact HELPS

Back to top

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

• Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view

Series Editor : Michael Theall, Youngstown State University Authors: Patricia Armstrong, Vanderbilt University; Sonja Moyer, US Army Command and General Staff College; Katherine Stanton, Princeton University

The critical evaluation of ideas, arguments, and points of view is important for the development of students as autonomous thinkers (1, 2). It is only through this critical evaluation that students can distinguish among competing claims for truth and determine which arguments and points of views they can trust and those of which they should be skeptical. This work lays the foundation for students’ progressing to staking their own claims in an intellectually rigorous fashion. Learning how to analyze and critically evaluate arguments thus helps them to develop a sound framework to test their own arguments and advance their own points of view.Objective 11 reflects an important component of the educational process – training students in the habits of thought in our disciplines. IDEA research has found that it is related to Objectives #6 through #10 and Objective #12, which all address activities at the upper levels of cognitive taxonomies, activities requiring application and frequent synthesis and evaluation of ideas and events (3). Active processing is critical to our students’ long-term retention of ideas and concepts and their ability to transfer those ideas and concepts to other contexts (4).

There is a link between this objective and developing deeper understandings of the self and the world. By encouraging our students to adopt a critical framework, we prepare them not only to engage in scholarly conversation and debate in our disciplines, but also to be engaged citizens in a democratic society. As Patricia King points out,

a student who appreciates why people approach controversial issues in her discipline from different perspectives is more likely to see and appreciate the reasons people approach social controversies from different perspectives. By the same token, a student who evaluates knowledge claims in his major by reference to the strength of the evidence in support of conflicting hypotheses would also be more inclined to evaluate contradictory claims about current moral issues by reference to the weight of available evidence (5, p. 23).

The ability to weigh alternatives, make decisions, and evaluate contradictory evidence is crucial to scholastic endeavors and adult life more generally—to personal happiness, professional success, and civic engagement.

To achieve this and related objectives, instruction must incorporate intellectual challenge and activity; opportunities for creative or original work; finding and using information and translating that information into coherent communication; and opportunities to produce original work rather than simply recalling information. This is supported by IDEA research finding that instructors stressing this objective frequently stimulate students to intellectual effort (#8), introduce stimulating ideas about the subject (#13), ask students to share ideas (#16), and assign work that requires original or creative thinking (#19). For additional information about this objective, see IDEA Paper #37 Helping Your Students Develop Critical Thinking Skills. [PDF]

Helpful Hints

Teaching students “how to think” may begin by alerting them to the kinds of questions and problems that interest scholars or professionals in your field. So you may consider organizing your courses around such questions and problems to stimulate your students’ intellectual interest. Rather than simply presenting information, be explicit with your students about how you approach such questions, defining critical thinking in your field and modeling disciplinary ways of thought. Engage students in activities that require sophisticated thinking and design assessments that call on students to demonstrate thinking skills. Below, we provide specific ideas for how to teach students to analyze and critically evaluate ideas and assess their abilities to do so. These activities and assessments require students to identify assumptions, weigh competing evidence, make decisions, imagine alternatives, and build arguments.

John Bean writes that once professors decide to focus on developing critical thinking skills, “much of their classroom preparation time shifts from planning and preparing lectures to planning and preparing critical thinking problems for students to wrestle with” (6, p. 122). Below, we suggest a series of what he might call “critical thinking tasks” that give students practice—and the opportunity to receive feedback on—analyzing and critically evaluating ideas, arguments, and points of view.

• In humanities and social science courses, keep the reading load manageable and model for students how to read critically and to evaluate arguments in your field (see IDEA Paper #40 Getting Students to Read: Fourteen Tips [PDF]).
• In math, sciences, and engineering courses, encourage students participating in study groups not only to share ideas for solving problems but also to provide reasons for the problem solving ideas they advance.
• Have students respond to an editorial in a newspaper or to a review essay in a scholarly journal. For that response, ask students to identify unstated assumptions, biases, and points of views and show how they undermine the argument the author is making.
• Teach students to use a pro and con grid to analyze ideas and points of view (7, see pages 168-171).
• Take time in science and engineering classes to explore the ethical considerations of research questions and experimental design.
• In organized class debates, ask students to argue for a point of view counter to their own.
• Give students “ill-structured problems” in class to work through. Such problems have no known answer or solution and cannot be solved with formal rules of logic or mathematical formulas. Ask students to come up with multiple solutions for each problem and rank the viability of each solution.
• Teach students the “believing and doubting game” (Elbow, cited in 6, p.142), which asks them to be both sympathetic and skeptical readers.
• Help students develop strategies for systematically gathering data according to methodologies in your discipline, assessing the quality and relevance of the data, evaluating sources, and interpreting the data (5, p. 24).
• Encourage students to enter into dialogue with the sources they read; encourage them to ask questions, give assent, or protest in the margins of what they read.
• Train students to identify the author’s audience and purpose when they read.
• Encourage students to engage their critical reasoning skills outside of the classroom (5, p. 24).

Assessment Issues

To teach critical evaluation, we must define critical thinking in general and in the discipline, model habits of disciplinary thought, engage students in activities that require sophisticated thinking, and design assessments that call on students to demonstrate thinking skills. Instructional assignments and activities that promote critical thinking have to do more than present information and ask for recall. Rather, they must ask students to demonstrate their thinking, including their analysis and critical evaluation of ideas, arguments, and points of view. These assignments ask students to do more than reproduce what they know; they ask them to produce new knowledge.

Angelo and Cross (7) offer many techniques for assessing critical thinking, problem solving, analysis, and related skills. Echoing and expanding on their ideas, we make the following suggestions:

• Design a writing assignment that asks students to test a critic’s ideas (or an everyday assumption) against a primary text or texts.
• Ask students to apply a theory they’ve learned in a social science class by designing an experiment to test the theory. Have them carry out the experiment and document the results.
• Design a writing assignment that prompts students to position themselves within a scholarly or real-life debate.
• Ask students to review a scientific paper, assessing the evidence the authors use and how they use it.
• Allow students to choose a current political issue relevant to a community to which they are attached. Have them research both major parties’ point of view on this issue and critically analyze them. As a writing assignment or project, ask students to agree with one major party’s stand on this issue and justify their choice.
• Have students use a double-entry journal for reflection and self-assessment of this learning objective, using guided questioning. The journal helps faculty to assess the affective domain, and helps students through possible “road blocks” in the process of learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view. It also reinforces that this process is ongoing, not just an assignment for a class. Sample guided questions include: What happened (when you analyzed and critically evaluated ideas, arguments, and points of view)? What was your reaction as you went through this process? What did you learn about yourself? How can you apply what you learned to your education or your life?
• Construct a rubric (i.e. scoring guide) to provide guidelines for critical analysis and evaluation so students know what to expect when they are assessed. The criteria and standards for this rubric may include the Elements of Reasoning and Intellectual Standards in Paul and Elder’s Critical Thinking (8).

References and Resources

• Perry, W. G. (1999). Forms of ethical and intellectual development in the college years. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Developing critical thinkers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Bloom, B. (Ed.). (1984). Taxonomy of educational objectives : Book 1, Cognitive Domain (2nd ed.). New York, Longman. See pp. 120-121, 162-163, 185-187.
• Halpern, D. F., & Hakel, M. D. (2003). Applying the science of learning to the university and beyond. Change , 35 (4).
• King, P. (2000). Learning to make reflective judgments. In Baxter-Magolda, M. B. Ed.), “Teaching to promote intellectual and personal maturity.” New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 82. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Bean, J. C. (1996). Engaging ideas: The professor’s guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Angelo, T., & Cross, P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2002). Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your learning and your life. Instructor’s Manual . NJ: Prentice Hall.

Related POD-IDEA Center Notes

• IDEA Item #8 “Stimulated students to intellectual effort beyond that required by most courses,” Nancy McClure
• IDEA Item #13 “Introduced stimulating ideas about the subject,” Michael Theall
• IDEA Item #16 “Asked students to share ideas and experiences with others whose backgrounds and viewpoints differ from their own,” Jeff King
• IDEA Item #19 “Gave projects, tests, or assignments that required original or creative thinking,” Cynthia Desrochers

Additional Resources

• IDEA Paper No. 38 Enhancing Learning – and More! – Through Cooperative Learning , Millis
• IDEA Paper No. 37 Helping Your Students Develop Critical Thinking Skills, Lynch and Wolcott
• IDEA Paper No. 40 Getting Students to Read: Fourteen Tips, Hobson
• IDEA Paper No. 42 Integrated Course Design , Fink
• Gaining A Basic Understanding of the Subject
• Developing knowledge and understanding of diverse perspectives, global awareness, or other cultures
• Learning to apply course material
• Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professionals in the field most closely related to this course
• Acquiring skills in working with others as a member of a team
• Developing creative capacities
• Gaining a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual/cultural activity
• Developing skill in expressing myself orally or in writing
• Learning how to find, evaluate, and use resources to explore a topic in depth
• Developing ethical reasoning and/or ethical decision making
• Learning to apply knowledge and skills to benefit others or serve the public good
• Learning appropriate methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting numerical information

Library & Learning Commons

• Search for sources
• APA style guide

How to do Research for College Assignments

• Evaluate Your Sources
• Introduction to the Research Process
• Choose & Develop Your Research Topic
• Search Library Resources
• Use & Cite Your Sources This link opens in a new window

Library Handouts & Guides:

• Is it Scholarly & Peer-Reviewed?
• Introduction to Health Sciences Literature: Evidence-Based Practice & Types of Scholarly Articles
• Using the CRAAPP Test to Evaluate Websites
• Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Sources

#wrapbox6753141 .headerbox { display: none; }

What is Source Evaluation?

Source evaluation is the process of critically evaluating information in relation to a given purpose in order to determine if it is appropriate for the intended use.

Why Evaluate Sources?

        •  Instructors expect students to use scholarly sources: using better sources often results in better grades!

        •  Information can be out-of-date, inaccurate, and even purposely misleading (such as propaganda) 

        •  Some forms of information, such as websites, allow anyone to contribute content or exist only to sell products or ads by generating traffic

#wrapbox6369380 .headerbox { display: none; }

• The CRAAPP Test
• Scholarly & Popular Sources

All information, especially online content, needs critical scrutiny. Use the CRAAPP test to evaluate and determine the credibility and reliability of a source:

Use the chart below to apply the CRAAPP test to websites and other information sources:

This video tutorial explains how to differentiate between popular and scholarly sources and demonstrates how to use them correctly in your research and course assignments. Need help searching for and identifying peer-reviewed journal articles? Go to the  How to Find Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles guide

Use the chart below to differentiate between scholarly/academic, trade/professional, and popular mainstream sources:

When conducting research, the ability to distinguish between primary, secondary and tertiary sources is a very useful skill:

• << Previous: Search Library Resources
• Next: Use & Cite Your Sources >>
• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 8:33 AM
• URL: https://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/research-help

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Working with sources
• Evaluating Sources | Methods & Examples

Evaluating Sources | Methods & Examples

Published on June 2, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

The sources you use are an important component of your research. It’s important to evaluate the sources you’re considering using, in order to:

• Ensure that they’re credible
• Determine whether they’re relevant to your topic
• Assess the quality of their arguments

Table of contents

Evaluating a source’s credibility, evaluating a source’s relevance, evaluating a source’s arguments, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about evaluating sources.

Evaluating the credibility of a source is an important way of sifting out misinformation and determining whether you should use it in your research. Useful approaches include the CRAAP test and lateral reading .

One of the best ways to evaluate source credibility is the CRAAP test . This stands for:

• Currency: Does the source reflect recent research?
• Relevance: Is the source related to your research topic?
• Authority: Is it a respected publication? Is the author an expert in their field?
• Accuracy: Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence?
• Purpose: What is the author’s intention?

How you evaluate a source using these criteria will depend on your subject and focus. It’s important to understand the types of sources and how you should use them in your field of research.

Lateral reading

Lateral reading is the act of evaluating the credibility of a source by comparing it to other sources. This allows you to:

• Verify evidence
• Contextualize information
• Find potential weaknesses

If a source is using methods or drawing conclusions that are incompatible with other research in its field, it may not be reliable.

Rather than taking these figures at face value, you decide to determine the accuracy of the source’s claims by cross-checking them with official statistics such as census reports and figures compiled by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics.

Don't submit your assignments before you do this

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Free citation check included.

Try for free

How you evaluate the relevance of a source will depend on your topic, and on where you are in the research process . Preliminary evaluation helps you to pick out relevant sources in your search, while in-depth evaluation allows you to understand how they’re related.

Preliminary evaluation

As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, you can use preliminary evaluation to determine which sources might be relevant. This is especially important when you’re surveying a large number of sources (e.g., in a literature review or systematic review ).

One way to do this is to look at paratextual material, or the parts of a work other than the text itself.

• Look at the table of contents to determine the scope of the work.
• Consult the index for key terms or the names of important scholars.

You can also read abstracts , prefaces , introductions , and conclusions . These will give you a clear idea of the author’s intentions, the parameters of the research, and even the conclusions they draw.

Preliminary evaluation is useful as it allows you to:

• Determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth
• Quickly move on to more relevant sources
• Increase the quality of the information you consume

While this preliminary evaluation is an important step in the research process, you should engage with sources more deeply in order to adequately understand them.

In-depth evaluation

Begin your in-depth evaluation with any landmark studies in your field of research, or with sources that you’re sure are related to your research topic.

As you read, try to understand the connections between the sources. Look for:

• Key debates: What topics or questions are currently influencing research? How does the source respond to these key debates?
• Major publications or critics: Are there any specific texts or scholars that have greatly influenced the field? How does the source engage with them?
• Trends: Is the field currently dominated by particular theories or research methods ? How does the source respond to these?
• Gaps: Are there any oversights or weaknesses in the research?

Even sources whose conclusions you disagree with can be relevant, as they can strengthen your argument by offering alternative perspectives.

Every source should contribute to the debate about its topic by taking a clear position. This position and the conclusions the author comes to should be supported by evidence from direct observation or from other sources.

Most sources will use a mix of primary and secondary sources to form an argument . It is important to consider how the author uses these sources. A good argument should be based on analysis and critique, and there should be a logical relationship between evidence and conclusions.

To assess an argument’s strengths and weaknesses, ask:

• Does the evidence support the claim?
• How does the author use evidence? What theories, methods, or models do they use?
• Could the evidence be used to draw other conclusions? Can it be interpreted differently?
• How does the author situate their argument in the field? Do they agree or disagree with other scholars? Do they confirm or challenge established knowledge?

Situating a source in relation to other sources ( lateral reading ) can help you determine whether the author’s arguments and conclusions are reliable and how you will respond to them in your own writing.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, it’s important to evaluate sources to assess their relevance. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth.

This involves:

• Reading abstracts , prefaces, introductions , and conclusions
• Looking at the table of contents to determine the scope of the work
• Consulting the index for key terms or the names of important scholars

Lateral reading is the act of evaluating the credibility of a source by comparing it with other sources. This allows you to:

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test  and follow these guidelines:

• The information should be up to date and current.
• The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
• The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
• For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

The CRAAP test is an acronym to help you evaluate the credibility of a source you are considering using. It is an important component of information literacy .

The CRAAP test has five main components:

• Currency: Is the source up to date?
• Relevance: Is the source relevant to your research?
• Authority: Where is the source published? Who is the author? Are they considered reputable and trustworthy in their field?
• Accuracy: Is the source supported by evidence? Are the claims cited correctly?
• Purpose: What was the motive behind publishing this source?

Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review . They are intended for a scholarly audience, include a full bibliography, and use scholarly or technical language. For these reasons, they are typically considered credible sources .

Popular sources like magazines and news articles are typically written by journalists. These types of sources usually don’t include a bibliography and are written for a popular, rather than academic, audience. They are not always reliable and may be written from a biased or uninformed perspective, but they can still be cited in some contexts.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Ryan, E. (2023, May 31). Evaluating Sources | Methods & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/evaluating-sources/

Is this article helpful?

Eoghan Ryan

Other students also liked, student guide: information literacy | meaning & examples, types of sources explained | examples & tips, what are credible sources & how to spot them | examples, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

How to critically evaluate any topic for your assignment?

Essay writing is an integral part of any university curriculum. Every coursework assignment involves an in-depth level of analysis. Students often find themselves in a fix when trying to evaluate a topic critically.

There is no right or wrong way to approach a topic. Academic research gives you the freedom to choose one side of any argument. A critical analysis is meant to stimulate your intellect. It keeps you mentally engaged with the subject. 

Do you have an assignment due next week but have no idea where to start? Well, I got you covered. Read onto know more about how to evaluate a topic and ace your assignments critically. 

1} The crux of critical evaluation

People usually confuse critical analysis with criticism. Let’s clear this dilemma before we move any further. Critical appraisal is quite different from criticism. In the former, you consider the good and bad aspects of the subject. 

Critically analyzing a topic involves collecting all the information, sorting it and then figure out its practical usage. The crux or central point of any critical analysis is questioning the facts presented to you. Try to check the credibility and relevance of the data you find. 

2} Analyzing the topic

Most universities give students the liberty to pick their area of research and expand upon it. You can choose a text or theory to discuss and pose your arguments on. However, picking the right topic is easier said than done

In simple words, there are five main factors to look for in any research topic you select. 

• The relevance of the topic
• Source materials you find 
• Scope of the research 
• Key assumptions made
• Your understanding 

Pick a question that is unique and yet researched upon. This would give you enough references but also better scope for new findings. Pick a topic that makes you curious. Research becomes a lot more fun when the subject piques your interest. 

3} Identify the context

Setting the issue into context is one of the most important things for a research paper. Understand the background and purpose of the text/theory. In my opinion, there are four different ways to look at a piece of work. I will talk about some of them below. 

Method 1- The central reading

This is your first encounter with the topic. For instance, if you have an assignment on Victorian literature, you need a text that represents the times. A book/novel from this era should highlight the main socio-political issues of the people. 

The first reading tries to decode the text most conventionally. Here you consider the central themes of the book and correlate it with the topic at hand. The preliminary study is the first step to critically evaluate a text . It opens new avenues of research and questioning for the reader.  

Want to evaluate Your assignment topic?

Method 2 – the personal reading.

The personal reading is when you put the private life of the author into the equation as well. Frequently, a text is autobiographical. It includes episodes or sections that draw from the author’s issues. 

This can give you a chance to look at the topic from a personal angle. The private reading is suitable for descriptive literary essays . It provides an exciting contrast of what the author means and how scholars interpreted it. 

Method 3 – The modern reading

The new reading is one where you try to figure out the contemporary relevance of the text. If you have a marketing assignment, talk about the significant marketing theories used in a specific industry. 

Here you don’t have to discuss the background or the personal history of the author. With modern reading, the reader gets a clear idea about the application and usage of your research. 

Method 4 – The practical reading

With the practical reading, you take a very mathematical approach with the text. This would involve a lot of scientific studies, graphs and numbers. You can then analyze these findings and arrive at a definitive conclusion

Research is not limited to merely stating facts on paper. It is more about comparing the said facts and look at the results from different perspectives. Your assignment should always try to present an unbiased, holistic picture of the situation. 

4} Collect all the information

Every research project is based on certain assumptions. The critical evaluation of the topic must acknowledge these assumptions and build upon them. 

A comprehensive reading of the topic involves multiple references. A quick online search or a trip to the library can give you all the data you need. Consult your peers and professors about credible sources. 

Also, explore research platforms like JSTOR that catalogue hundreds of journals in alphabetical order. Other media formats like documentaries, blogs etc. can also be inspiration sources.

5} Assessment of details

Once you have all the information, you need to arrange it in a rational order. This is where structuring the essay comes into play. Every piece of academic writing follows a specific format. There has to be an introduction, a middle and a conclusion. 

I also recommend that you add an abstract at the beginning of your paper. This section explains the purpose of your essay and the topic in brief. The introduction then sets the tone of the assignment. 

The main body of the essay expands upon the central themes and arguments. It states all the information you have about the topic. Ensure that you approach the subject with an open mind 

To critically evaluate an issue is to look at it from all perspectives. Don’t let your personal opinion or judgements colour of your research. Also, it’s okay to keep the conclusion open-ended.

6} Find your niche

Back in school, the essays you wrote were very generic. Students back then picked standard topics that did not require any additional reading. All that changes when you enter university. 

The academic essays in your curriculum usually demand an in-depth study. You cannot stick to the general topics and expect a good grade. I encourage my students to find their niche, an area of specialization. 

Don’t try to cram in a lot of details in your essay. Instead, pick a small section and discuss it in detail. Dive deep into the topic, understand its background and implications. Keep an objective approach and question everything you encounter.

Don’t straightway believe every piece of information you come across. Check the authenticity of the source before you add it. An excellent critical analysis shows you all sides of the story. 

7} Structuring the paper

Follow a chronological structure for your essay. Start with a broad introduction and then explore organically. This makes your article readable and comprehensive. And always write in the third person. Don’t use pronouns like “I” or “you” as it is not in place of the academic language. 

Start the essay by stating all the information you gathered from your previous references. You can then discuss your arguments for or against these details. Weigh each of your cases with counter-evidence as well for a more holistic picture. 

Consult your professor about the structuring styles to follow. There are three major styles you can explore- MLA, APA and Harvard referencing formats . Each of these come with specific rules that you can find online. 

8} Issues with critical evaluation

Now, that you know all about critical assessment, let us discuss some problems that students face. There is no checklist for how to think and evaluate a particular topic critically. Organize all the facts and list down the possible questions and contradictions you might encounter. 

Some students also find it difficult to dissociate their personal biases from their research. The entire point of critical evaluation is objectively assessing the topic. Your job doesn’t end with merely presenting the facts. You have to discuss it and build an argument for/against it. 

Critical analysis, though interesting, can also be distracting for some. Students can sway from their central argument and try to include details not relevant to the topic. If you have an exciting tidbit that doesn’t fit in the essay, add it as a footnote. You can even insert a few annotations in the bibliography section. 

9} Concluding the critical analysis

This is the last part of the critical evaluation process. The conclusion is where you can reflect upon the findings of the essay and put in your two cents. It is a section where you reinstate your points to remind the reader of the central questions raised in the article. 

End your assignment with a bibliography and proper citations. Check out the referencing guide on your university website for more assistance. You can also explore online citation generators like CiteFast to save time.

10} The bottom line

Finding a topic and planning a paper on it is no child’s play. It requires meticulous research and sorting of ideas in a systematic order. With critical analysis, you learn how to put forth your arguments in a logical way. 

The analytical study also broadens your perspective and gives the reader more food for thought. Unlike a standard essay, an analysis discusses the topic from all possible angles. It objectively presents the facts. 

I hope this guide helps you evaluate the given topic critically and write a detailed assignment on it. All the best! 

• Academic writing
• Commonly confused words
• Critical thinking
• PEEL Paragraphs
• Linking/transition words
• Paraphrasing
• Proofreading
• Terms and definitions
• Action Words: What is description, application, analysis and evaluation

Attend a workshop

Find out more about the Library and Academic Skills workshop programme here .

Understanding key words: Things you need to know...

At University you will have the opportunity to develop your academic writing and problem solving skills by doing a range of different assignments.  The criteria for these will increase each year.

It is important that you understand the key words in all assignments and marking criteria. 

The resources below should help you to write at the appropriate skill level.

• What is description, application, analysis and evaluation Explanations and examples to help you to make sure that you write at the appropriate level for your assignment

Need to know more...

• Related pages
• External links

Related factsheets

• Academic writing Illustrates the main features of academic writing so that you are aware of what it is and what it involves
• Terms and Definitions Important words appear in your assignments and examinations. The aim of this factsheet is to help you to fully understand what they mean.
• Action Words in Academic Writing

There are many books concerning academic writing try searching our Library Catalogue for ones relating to your subject area

• << Previous: Terms and definitions
• Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 9:44 AM
• URL: https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/academic_writing
• Library and Learning Services, Staffordshire University, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DE
• Accessibility
• Library Regulations
• Appointments
• Library Search

• Instructor Documentation (Higher Ed)
• Welcome to the Higher Education Instructor Knowledge Base
• Log In to Brightspace
• Change your personal settings in Brightspace
• Welcome to Brightspace
• Course setup
• Start the term
• Activate your course
• About course administration
• Navigate Brightspace and find your course
• Best practices for creating a Course Homepage
• Customize your course navbar
• Automatically customize course content using replace strings
• Brightspace Virtual Assistant
• View your course using a different role
• Create accessible content in Brightspace
• Accessibility
• Adding an accessible template package to your course files
• Meeting web content accessibility standards
• Setting clear course expectations
• Making flexible time limits and deadlines
• Providing alternative learning materials
• Accessibility considerations
• Compliance to accessibility standards in HTML-authored content
• Directing learners to accessibility resources
• Scenarios for creating release conditions to increase accessibility in courses
• How assistive technology interacts with the inline grading experience
• Access course content using the ReadSpeaker docReader integration
• About Announcements
• Announcements
• Create a welcome message using the Announcements widget
• About Assignments
• Assignments
• Create an assignment
• Set availability and due dates for an assignment
• Set release conditions and special access in Assignments
• Copy an existing assignment
• Copy assignments to other courses
• Add and Edit categories to manage assignments
• Reorder, edit, and delete assignments and categories
• Hide draft assignments and content
• Align learning outcomes to assignments
• Preview assignments in Evaluation mode
• About anonymous marking
• Restricted File Extensions
• Assignments and Turnitin

Evaluate assignments using the Assignments tool

• Evaluate assignment activities
• Synchronize multi-evaluator grades between Grade Book and Assignments
• Evaluate assignment submissions from Content
• About Attendance
• File types supported by Annotations
• Assess assignments with grade schemes
• Create and manage attendance registers
• Create and manage attendance sessions
• About Awards
• Create and manage awards
• Create a blog
• About Brightspace Editor
• Brightspace Editor
• Insert and edit images with Brightspace Editor
• Insert and edit equations with Equation Editor
• About Calendar
• Manage course events with the Calendar tool
• Create a checklist
• About Class Progress
• Class Progress
• Track course progress with the Class Progress tool
• View course progress against Standards
• Accessing Class Progress data in the Brightspace Data Platform
• Change and reorder Main Indicators in Class Progress
• View assessment details on the Outcomes Progress details page
• About Classlist
• Review your Classlist
• Auditors and Bulk Auditor Management
• About Competencies
• Competencies
• Manage Competencies
• Create a learning objective
• Add a learning objective to a content topic
• Content experiences
• About course content organization
• What types of files can I use for course content?
• Use HTML templates in Content
• Improve navigation in multi-page content topics
• Notify learners about updated course content
• Add existing activities with Google Drive
• Add existing activities with OneDrive
• Create and integrate form templates in Content
• Using Virtual Classrooms and Video Assignments by Bongo
• View user progress in Content
• Change content display settings
• Add and organize learning materials in the Classic Content experience
• Fix broken links in Content
• Hide Content topics, modules, and downloads
• Add and organize learning materials in the New Content Experience (Lessons)
• ReadSpeaker integrations for Lessons
• Add availability and due dates in Content
• Add a Release Condition to Content
• Set a course timeframe
• Classic Content Experience
• View course content statistics
• Content statistics and completion tracking
• Track content completion and participation
• About Course Builder
• Course Builder
• Create a course with Course Builder
• New Content Experience (Lessons)
• Manage course waitlists
• Course Catalog
• Manage courses and programs
• Manage participants
• About Brightspace Creator+
• Create a presentation with the Capture App
• Using the Creator+ features of Brightspace Editor
• Create a presentation with Capture Web
• Manage learner self-enrollment with Discover
• About Discussions
• Create group work areas for learners
• Discussions
• Create discussion forums and topics
• Restrict a forum or topic to specific groups or sections
• Create a group thread in an existing topic
• Set up a quicklink to a discussion topic or forum within an existing Content topic
• Manage discussion forums and topics
• Evaluate discussions
• Email others using the Email tool
• About D2L Lumi Pro for Brightspace
• D2L Lumi Pro for Brightspace
• Disable your course address book
• About Consumption Dashboard
• About Brightspace ePortfolio
• Enable Brightspace ePortfolio reflections from Content
• Generate assignment ideas using D2L Lumi Idea
• About certified Brightspace artifacts
• Generate quiz questions using D2L Lumi Question
• About Form Templates
• Create FAQ questions and categories
• Generate ideas for discussions using D2L Lumi Idea
• About Grades
• Grading systems types
• Create a grading system
• About exemptions
• Grading systems
• How grade exemptions affect calculations
• Create Grading Schemes using the Grades tool
• Final Grades that include exemptions
• Grade exemptions
• Set up your Grade book
• Create and delete grade categories and items
• Import grade items
• Drop the lowest grade
• Delete grade items or categories
• Importing grades
• Gradebook icons and notifications
• About automatic transfer of overall score to a learner's grade
• Banner Grades
• Grade book Mastery View
• Managing event logs in grade book
• Setting up and configuring the Grade book Mastery view
• Setting up Outcomes for use with Grade book Mastery View
• Mastery View
• Publishing and retracting achievement evaluations in Mastery View
• Best practices for using Grade book Mastery View
• Manually overriding achievement levels in Mastery View
• Define Settings in the Grades tool
• Overall Achievement Calculation Settings
• Enter grades in the Grades tool
• Viewing Grade book Mastery View
• Manage Grades in the Grades tool
• Evaluate with the Grades tool
• Navigating in the inline grading experience
• About automatic zero grading for missing submissions
• Automatic Zero Grading
• Set release conditions for grades
• How course activity types interact with automatic zero grading
• About Groups and Sections
• Create categories and groups
• Create a section
• Groups and Sections
• About Import/Export/Copy Components
• Import, export, or copy course components
• Import/Export/Copy Components
• Integrity Advocate Remote Proctoring in D2L Brightspace
• View and Override Proctoring activity
• Integrity Advocate
• About Intelligent Agents
• Set up Intelligent Agents
• Intelligent Agents
• Run Intelligent Agents
• Using the Brightspace LeaP wizard
• Setting up learning paths
• Update learning paths
• Add a learning path link to Content in 10.3 or higher
• Using the Content Report
• Using the Progress Report
• Using the Outcomes Report
• Using the Activity Report
• Grading with LeaP
• About Brightspace Learning Object Repository
• Browse the Brightspace Learning Repository
• Learning Object Repository (LOR)
• Publish (add) objects to Brightspace Learning Repository
• Retrieve learning objects
• Manage learning objects and collections
• Review learning objects
• RSS feeds in Brightspace Learning Repository
• Create and delete a link or link category
• Manage locations
• About Manage Dates
• Bulk edit dates in Manage Dates
• Manage Dates
• About Manage Files
• Create a Content topic in Manage Files
• Apply content permissions to folders in Manage Files
• Manage Files
• About Media Library
• Manage audio-video content with Media Library
• Media Library
• Upload, edit, and play audio-video content with Media Player
• View and download audio-video transcripts
• Media Player
• Gain personalized insight about individual learners
• Learner Engagement Dashboard
• About predictive charts
• Performance+
• Interpreting the Assessments predictive chart
• Interpreting the Social Learning predictive chart
• Interpreting the Success Index predictive charts
• How does Brightspace Student Success System work?
• Student Success System (s3)
• Make predictions about learner success and risk levels
• Brightspace Student Success System areas
• Brightspace Student Success System domains
• Monitor weekly success and risk in your class
• Interpreting the win-loss chart
• Troubleshooting: I can't access Brightspace Student Success System
• Using the Students at Risk widget
• Students at Risk widget
• Class Engagement interface overview
• Easily access analytics about learners and your course
• About Portfolio
• Define Portfolio class settings
• Student at Risk widget
• Using Brightspace Portfolio for higher education and corporate learning
• Archive evidence
• Course Overview widget
• About Quizzes
• Create and configure a quiz
• Manage questions in the Quiz Builder
• Review and assess submitted Portfolio evidence
• Applying Respondus LockDown Browser to a quiz
• Manage quizzes with learner attempts
• Grade with Quick Eval
• Retake incorrect quiz questions in subsequent attempts
• Evaluate quizzes
• View quiz statistics and attempt logs
• Manage quiz questions
• Quizzes FAQ: Hot tips and workarounds
• About Question Library
• Import questions into the Question Library
• Creating Question Library questions
• Question Library
• Managing questions in Question Library
• Quizzes and Question Library
• Delete and copy questions from Question Library in a quiz
• About Rubrics
• Release Conditions
• Create a rubric using the Rubrics tool
• Evaluate assignments using the Rubrics tool
• Manage Rubrics through the Quicklinks menu
• About Release Conditions
• Import and manage SCORM
• Track activity and user progress on SCORM objects
• Create and manage seating charts
• Associate course content with Standards
• Seating Charts
• Set up Surveys
• Track survey progress and results
• Standards (Also known as Learning Outcomes, Expectations, Competencies, or Objectives)
• Create and insert a video note in Brightspace Editor
• Add subtitles to video topics
• Manage widgets on your homepage
• Set up the Activity Feed widget and post
• Post assignments using the Activity Feed widget
• Activity Feed widget
• Control commenting on Activity Feed posts
• About the Create Course widget
• Create a course in the Create Course widget
• Create Course widget
• Homepage Widget Expansion Pack
• Using the My Org Units widget
• Using the Photo Banner Widget
• Using the Slim Announcements Widget
• Using the Visual Table of Contents (TOC) Widget
• Using the Welcome Window Widget
• Create a widget-based homepage
• Displaying course grouping tabs in the My Courses widget
• Review learner course assignments with the Work To Do widget
• Change personal settings with the My Settings widget
• My Courses widget
• Glossary of Icons
• Glossary of Terms
• Documentation changes for higher ed instructors

The Evaluate Submission page enables you to evaluate and leave feedback on assignment submissions. It contains two main sections: The Submissions List panel and the Evaluation panel. Use the Evaluation panel to grade and provide comments on submissions. On paper submissions and observed in person assignments display only the Evaluation panel, as no submissions are made in Brightspace.

Evaluate assignment submissions

You can either publish feedback immediately or save your feedback as a draft and release it later. This enables you to revise and review evaluations and publish your feedback to multiple users at the same time. You have the option to retract published feedback to provide an update to past evaluations, ensuring learners access your most recent feedback.

Assignment submissions have status indicators to note the state of the evaluation.

Check an evaluation status

When there are multiple evaluators assigned, you can check assignment status and additional information with hover text.

To check an evaluation status

• Navigate to the Assignments tool.
• Open an assignment which status you want to check.

Figure: Hover your cursor over an assignment in the Users tab to view additional information.

Refer to Advanced Assessment for Assignments in test, development, and staging environments of Brightspace for more information.

Make one shared evaluation ready for review

As an evaluator, you can reduce communication errors during the evaluation of co-marking and delegation assignments when publishers and evaluators are not the same person. When you have completed your evaluation, set the evaluation to Ready for Review to inform the publisher that the evaluation is ready and can move on to the next phase.

To use one shared evaluation and ready for review

• Click Create an assignment and in Evaluation & Feedback > Coordinate Multiple Evaluators select One shared evaluation .

When the assignment is submitted, on the Assignments page, click on your assignment.

On the Submissions page, click the assignment.

Click Ready for Review .

A dialog appears stating that the Evaluation is ready for review , and the button at the bottom changes to Update .

Figure: You can click the Update button on Submission Review page to update your evaluation.

Once you, as an evaluator, click Ready for Review , the evaluation is ready for reviewing and publishing. Publishers have access to the Publish button.

Video: Assign Evaluators and Publishers in Assignments

Evaluate using annotations

If you have built in annotations turned on, you can mark up submissions using highlighting, free hand drawing, shapes, and associated commenting directly from the Evaluate Submission page. Use the icons in the document viewer toolbar to select between Drawing , Note , Text , and Line . You can undo or redo any annotations using the undo or redo buttons located on the menu or using keyboard shortcuts. The keyboard shortcuts for PCs are Ctrl+z for undo and Ctrl+Shift+z for redo. For MAC OS, the shortcuts are Command+z for undo and Command+Shift+z for redo.

Each tool has additional options to change color, font size, font, and many other customizable items. Once you publish the feedback, learners can view their submission with the annotations visible, providing additional context.

For information about file types that are supported by the annotation tool in Assignments, refer to File types supported by Annotations

Download and evaluate assignment submission files

If you download user submissions and leave feedback within the files, you can upload them back to the appropriate assignment so they appear as attachments to each user's submission evaluation. To ensure successful feedback upload and distribution back to learners, do not rename the downloaded files' names after you enter feedback and save changes.

To evaluate and add feedback to downloaded submissions

• Navigate to Assignments .

• Select Select all rows and then click Download . This creates a .zip file.

• Open each assignment, evaluate the assignment, add your feedback, and then save the file.

• To publish feedback to selected learners select these learners and click Publish Feedback .
• To publish feedback to all learners, click Publish All Feedback . If the Publish All Feedback button is grayed out, you have no draft feedback to publish. If you have Anonymous Marking enabled, you must click Save Draft and save your feedback for each anonymous user, then click Publish All Feedback on the assignment page to submit feedback to the anonymous users.
• If you have any rubrics attached to learner submissions and if these learner submissions have not been evaluated on all rubric criteria, a Confirmation dialog box appears indicating the same. Click Continue Grading or Publish Anyway , as applicable.

• To evaluate using learning outcomes, select the desired level of achievement below the outcome.
• When you leave feedback in Turnitin, the feedback icon on the assignment submission page, in the Turnitin Online Grading column.
• If you added an Online Grading score, the score displays on the submissions page, in the Turnitin Online Grading column.

Add assignment submissions to Brightspace Portfolio

You can add assignment submissions to Brightspace Portfolio. When you add an assignment submission to Portfolio, all submission versions, feedback, and grades are added to Portfolio.

You can then review the submission as evidence in Brightspace Portfolio and share that evidence with Parents and Guardians.

Once you add a learner's submission to Portfolio as evidence, it is treated as a record of work as assignment evidence independent of the Assignments tool. Assignment submissions added to Portfolio as evidence remain in the learner's Portfolio after the course has ends.

To add an assignment submission to Portfolio

• Navigate to the Assignments tool and click on an assignment.
• From the Submissions page of that assignment, click Users .
• Locate a user that has completed an assignment submission.

• From the Add this Assignment to Portfolio? dialog, click Add .

The selected learner's assignment submission is added to their portfolio as evidence. This evidence remains in the learner's Portfolio after the course has ended.

Evaluate video submissions

You can give grades and feedback for video files that learners attach and submit as part of an assignment.

To evaluate video submissions

• Click the Actions drop-down menu beside your desired assignment and then select View Submissions .
• Click the Submissions tab.
• Select the video submission and click Download . Save the .zip file and review.

• Click Publish .

If your assignment is associated with a grade item in your Grade Book, the Overall Grade you entered is automatically added to your grade book. To review and edit the Overall Grade of all evaluations applied to that grade item, click the Assignment attached icon next to the Overall Grade field to open your grade book. For more information about grade items, refer to Create and delete grade categories and items .

Video: Grade submissions in Assignments

About the New Assignment Evaluation Experience

The New Evaluation Experience brings consistency to evaluating in Brightspace for all assessable tools. For now, the experience is only available in Assignments and Discussions.

When you attempt to delete a rubric that is attached to an evaluated assignment, you must confirm that they want to detach the rubric from the assignment. This alert is intended to prevent potential data loss, because once a rubric is detached, the existing assessments for that rubric are deleted and cannot be restored.

The New Assignment Evaluation Experience uses the new Brightspace Editor as the default HTML editor.

Figure: Use the Overall Score slider in mobile and the New Assignment Evaluation Experience views to view and override the score level.

Video: Grading submissions in Assignments

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Article links:

“Analysis/Evaluation” provided by the authors

“Reflective Writing Prompt: Analysis and Evaluation Assignment” by the authors

Chapter Preview

• Explain the components of an analysis and evaluation essay.
• Recognize reasons to engage in evaluative writing.

Analysis/Evaluation

provided by the authors

Evaluative writing is a specific genre that analyzes a subject in order to make and support a “judgment call,” a judgment that is based on specific, clear criteria. That judgment – which is your reasoned opinion – becomes the heart of the essay’s thesis, clearly stating whether the subject is successful or not based on how it meets established criteria.

You might engage in this type of writing in order to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of one item or as a way of comparing two or more similar items in order to make a decision: which is more effective, which does a better job? To fully answer those questions requires practicing close reading to understand the text’s rhetorical situation  (audience, purpose, genre) using analysis to select criteria (or standards) to form a judgment (evaluation). That judgment must be supported by specific details drawn from the subjects, and thoroughly explained to justify your conclusion.

Important Concepts

evaluative writing

rhetorical situation

Reflective Writing Prompt

ANALYSIS Reflection Assignment

Licenses and Attributions

CC LICENSED CONTENT, ORIGINAL

Composing Ourselves and Our World,   Provided by: the authors. License:  Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

• Video 1:  Analysis and Evaluation Essay Tactics by  Kris Baranovic .  License: Standard YouTube License.

Composing Ourselves and Our World Copyright © 2019 by Auburn University at Montgomery is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

• +44 (0) 207 391 9032

Recent Posts

• What Is an Internship? Everything You Should Know
• How Long Should a Thesis Statement Be?
• How to Write a Character Analysis Essay
• Best Colours for Your PowerPoint Presentation: How to Choose
• How to Write a Nursing Essay
• Top 5 Essential Skills You Should Build As An International Student
• How Professional Editing Services Can Take Your Writing to the Next Level
• How to Write an Effective Essay Outline
• How to Write a Law Essay: A Comprehensive Guide with Examples
• What Are the Limitations of ChatGPT?
• Academic News
• Custom Essays
• Dissertation Writing
• Essay Marking
• Essay Writing
• Essay Writing Companies
• Model Essays
• Model Exam Answers
• Oxbridge Essays Updates
• PhD Writing
• Significant Academics
• Student News
• Study Skills
• University Applications
• University Essays
• University Life
• Writing Tips

Essay question words: “critically evaluate/review”

(Last updated: 13 May 2021)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

What does it mean to critically evaluate something or to provide a critical review? We won’t lie – these terms are complicated. But the following paragraph, and the rest of this blog post below, may help your understanding:

Typically, the word “critical” has a negative connotation. Think of words like “critique” and “criticise” and you see why. However, with essay writing, being asked to write “critically” does not necessarily mean you need to be negative. Instead, you are voicing your opinion in a logical and coherent way that is based upon evidence and evaluation.

When faced with the task to “critically evaluate” or to provide a “critical review”, it is important to remember that there is going to be some element of description. But you need to be able to build on that description to further justify your point. Let’s go through some examples.

Descriptive writing

Descriptive writing really focuses on answering the four ‘w’ questions – what, where, who, when. In descriptive writing you are going to need to focus on the following:

As you can see from the table above, all of the ‘w’ questions are really important and are essential components to writing a good essay . The purpose of these components is to let the reader get the essential information they need to understand the main idea. Yet if you stop here, you only end up with a descriptive essay, which does not meet the requirements of criticality that are requested by the professor or TA.

Critical writing

Critical writing gives you the opportunity to go beyond the descriptive, so when you critically evaluate or critically review something, you are moving toward analysis and evaluation. This type of critical writing asks you to assess the how, why, what if, so what and what next questions. As you will begin to notice, these questions require much more explanation that the ‘w’ questions (each of which you could likely answer in 10 words or less). Let’s look at some of these questions below:

Managing the descriptive and critical

Anyone who has done a lot of writing or who has seen many students’ writing will tell you that there are plenty of ways to write an essay . Yet while there are many strategies, when writing in English, there are certain expectations that the reader has when working through a paragraph or larger piece of writing. Therefore, in order to satisfy the reader that you have successfully completed a critical review or evaluation, you need to make sure that the reader gets what they are expecting.

The first step is to carefully read the article/piece of work that you are going to be critically assessing. Often, students feel like, just because something has been published in an academic journal, that it is an excellent piece of writing that cannot be questioned. But this isn’t necessarily true. The author of that article made certain decisions during the research and writing processes. It is your job to evaluate and analyse what they have done and whether the author has presented any evidence that you can draw conclusions from or make links between areas of knowledge.

In an academic journal article, there are often two places where you will be able to find the easiest opportunities to critically evaluate the work: the methodology and the discussion. In the methodology, the author has made certain decisions about how they are going to answer the research question presented. They have usually (in empirical research) identified a sample, context, and certain instruments (e.g. questionnaire, interviews, observations, etc.). Perhaps one of the easiest ways you can critically evaluate this information is to determine whether or not the sample size is big enough or whether the context applies globally or only to the region where the research took place. For example, a sample of 250 undergraduate students might seem like a lot, but if they are all from a remote area of Pakistan, their situation may not be applicable to undergraduate students who are studying in the UK. Highlighting this issue is one of the more basic forms of criticality because you are applying your own judgements to a situation.

Another area where you might be able to critically evaluate a paper is in the discussion section. It’s in this section where the author expresses their point of view and how their findings relate to other aspects of research. In some articles, you might find that the author has made claims . So if we consider the same group of 250 undergraduate students in Pakistan, the author might find that of the 250 students 225 felt that learning English was important for job security in the future. Therefore, the author might claim that students should learn English if they want to secure a good job in the future. With this argument you could evaluate whether this statement is actually true. We already know that 250 is not representative globally, but we can also assume that students in a remote area of Pakistan may not have access to the same opportunities as students in Beijing. These students may come to a different conclusion about English (potentially).

The point of a critical evaluation is to demonstrate that you can think beyond what you are being told. By taking steps to question what is being written and presented to you, you may be better able to write a critical review and to reflect on how and why the author took the position they did. No research study is perfect and it is your job to determine what could have been modified or changed to fit a different situation.

Focus on directive essay words: “to what extent…”

Focus on directive essay words: “summarise”

Focus on directive essay words: “elaborate”

• academic writing
• critical review
• to what extent
• writing a good essay
• writing tips

Writing Services

• Essay Plans
• Critical Reviews
• Literature Reviews
• Presentations
• Dissertation Title Creation
• Dissertation Proposals
• Dissertation Chapters
• PhD Proposals
• Journal Publication
• CV Writing Service
• Business Proofreading Services

Editing Services

• Proofreading Service
• Editing Service
• Academic Editing Service

Additional Services

• Marking Services
• Consultation Calls
• Personal Statements
• Tutoring Services

Our Company

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Become a Writer

Terms & Policies

• Fair Use Policy
• Policy for Students in England
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• [email protected]
• Contact Form

Payment Methods

Cryptocurrency payments.

• Study Protocol
• Open access
• Published: 26 August 2024

Evaluation of the impact of an online video game as an educational intervention on sexual health and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infection: A randomized controlled trial protocol

• Alba Martinez-Satorres 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Carme Roca-Saumell 1 , 3 , 4 ,
• Anna Escale-Besa 2 , 5 , 6 ,
• Marta Arcarons-Marti 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Francisco Javier Fernandez-Segura 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Carolina Allegra Wagner 1 , 3 , 7 ,
• Pablo Pires-Nuñez 1 ,
• Nuria Turmo-Tristan 1 , 2 ,
• Lorena Diez-Garcia 2 ,
• Andrea Maron-Lopez 1 ,
• Zulema Marti-Oltra 1 , 2 ,
• Marta Vanrell-Nicolau 1 , 2 ,
• Sonia Da Silva Torres 1 ,
• Alvaro Ruiz-Torres 1 , 3 ,
• Pablo Pino-Prieto 1 , 3 ,
• Dhyaanenshan Pillay 1 , 3 ,
• Angels Casaldaliga-Sola 2 , 5 ,
• Xavi Lazaro-Navarro 2 , 5 ,
• Maria Lasagabaster-Uriarte 1 , 3 &
• Maria Isabel Fernandez-San Martin 1 , 3  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  922 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is increasing, especially among young people. Tools are needed to increase knowledge about sex education and STI prevention and treatment. Gamification can be a good training tool for both young people and health professionals. The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of a training intervention on STI prevention, detection, and treatment in primary care professionals.

Methods/design

Multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial.

Groups of primary care professionals will receive an intervention (online video game on sex education and STIs [SEXIT]) and will be compared with control groups that will not receive the intervention. Group assignments will be randomized by clusters.

The study will consist of a pre-post evaluation of the intervention: a knowledge test will be administered before and after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. This test will also be carried out on the same time sequence in the control groups. The impact of the training intervention will be assessed over a 6-month period, focusing on various variables associated with the clinical management of STIs. This evaluation entails the clinical records of diagnostic tests and antibiotic prescriptions related to the clinical approach to STIs.

The required sample size is 262 (131 per group).

Compared with those in the control group, improvements in knowledge and clinical behavioural outcomes after the intervention are expected for participants in the intervention groups. We plan to develop an educational video game to increase the knowledge about sexuality, STIs and violence.

Protocol registered at ISRCTN with reference number ISRCTN17783607 .

Peer Review reports

Over the last decade, there has been a clear overall increase in the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis , gonorrhoea, syphilis, and L. venereum in Europe (Área (Área [ 1 ]); , Centro (Centro [ 2 ])). According to a study by the Barcelona STI and HIV Group published in 2019 (Sentís et al. (Sentís et al. [ 3 ])), between 2007 and 2015, the incidence of STIs significantly increased among young people aged 15–24 years, and the importance of improving programmes and interventions targeting STIs in young people is stressed. The group also found that a history of a previously diagnosed STI, being a man who has sex with men and having a greater number of sexual partners are risk factors for HIV coinfection in young people with gonorrhoea, syphilis, or lymphogranuloma; these are therefore the people targeted for screening and educational interventions.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with several high-risk sexual behaviors, including inconsistent condom use, multiple sexual partners, early sexual debut, substance use during sexual activity, and a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (Seth [ 4 ]); , Stubbs and Szoeke (Stubbs and Szoeke [ 5 ])). Female IPV victims exhibit higher rates of STIs and engage in more STI-risk behaviors compared to women in non-violent relationships. Therefore, women in violent relationships should be prioritized for STI screening in clinics. Additionally, STI prevention messages should address IPV issues due to their significant impact on STI risk (Hess et al. (Hess et al. [ 6 ])).

A questionnaire for the detection of male violence was carried out on 1,566 young women aged 15 to 33 years who were users of the Youth Centre for Sexuality Care [ 7 ] between April 2017 and January 2019. According to the data extracted from the answers to this questionnaire, 5.2 out of every 10 women surveyed had suffered at least one situation of physical, psychological, or sexual violence.

The aim of this project is to design, develop and evaluate an educational intervention aimed at residents and primary care professionals to improve people’s sexual health and the prevention, detection, and treatment of STIs.

Justification

Among the possible causes of difficulty in dealing correctly with STIs may be a lack of specific training from professionals, a lack of knowledge about safer practices among the most vulnerable population, and a barrier to accessing the health system.

In this context, teaching tools that encourage active participation in learning are needed. New teaching methods have been used whereby students learn without being directly taught. Based on more participatory methods, it is not the teacher who provides the student with the information, but rather the student who learns thanks to the teaching dynamic. Gamification is an example of this. Gamification is a relatively new trend that involves applying game mechanics to nongame contexts to engage audiences, generate fun, and produce motivational and cognitive benefits. In the field of education, gamification is a formative process through which learning experiences are seen as games. It is currently one of the most attractive methodologies and has aroused great interest, topping the list of new teaching methods in terms of its effectiveness (Beemer et al. (Beemer et al. [ 8 ]); , Grimalt (Grimalt [ 9 ])).

Theoretical framework for learning with computer games for education

Transfer involves applying what you have learned in one context to solve problems or learn in a new context. Multimedia learning scenarios incorporate both words (printed or spoken) and pictures (graphics, animation, and video). Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) explains how learning occurs in these multimedia situations, based on three key principles (Mayer and Mayer (Mayer and Mayer [ 10 ]))

Dual Channel Principle: People have separate channels for processing visual and verbal material.

Limited Capacity Principle: Each channel can process only a limited amount of material at one time.

Active Processing Principle: Deep learning occurs when people actively engage in cognitive processing during learning.

By integrating these principles (Fig.  1 ), gamified training interventions can create more engaging, effective, and efficient learning experiences that align with the cognitive processes of learners. CTML principles help ensure that gamified training aligns with how people process information, enhancing learning outcomes.

Mayer’s Cognitive Model of Multimedia Learning: this model summarizes the cognitive processes and mental representations involved in multimedia learning

A 2023 article meta-analysed 21 studies that tested the effectiveness of animated videos in improving learning in clinical and nonclinical settings compared with standard education.

Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning provided the theoretical model to frame the current analyses. Findings indicated an overall positive effect (d = 0.35) for use of animation in improving viewers’ learning across a variety of health and clinical contexts (Feeley et al. (Feeley et al. [ 11 ])).

Gamification strategies include the serious game, in which learning takes place through an organized game with a set of rules and an objective. This type of game creates a challenge, involves interaction, and has a theme or thread. It is devised specifically to promote health and, at the same time, to be fun (DeSmet et al. (DeSmet et al. [ 12 ])), promoting group integration and cohesion. Advances in technology allow these strategies to be used when face-to-face activities may not be effective.

The team game allows the application of debriefing (Maestre et al. (Maestre et al. [ 13 ])) methodology, involving a conversation to review a simulated event in which players analyse their actions and reflect on the reasoning, skills, and emotional states generated in the simulated situation to improve or maintain their performance in the future. Decisions and mistakes are reflected upon together. It helps participants not only increase their knowledge but also change their attitudes and practices by providing questions based on reflection on their own mistakes and offering opportunities for learning, reflection, and attitudinal changes.

A review of 30 studies with 3,634 participants concluded that gamification appears to be at least as effective as traditional formal teaching (Gentry et al. (Gentry et al. [ 14 ])). Moreover, it appears to be even more effective at improving learning, skills, and satisfaction. More rigorous studies of higher quality are needed to assess whether gamification can lead to real learning more effectively than traditional teaching.

Another systematic literature review was conducted to examine gamification strategies in e-Health, assessing their benefits and challenges. A total of 46 studies were thoroughly analyzed. The review found strong evidence that gamification aids cognitive development, enhancing strategic abilities, working memory, visual attention, and processing speed. Despite challenges, most studies highlighted the positive effects of gamified e-Health interventions and serious games, making typically mundane activities more enjoyable and engaging. Gamification also improved user experiences and provided extrinsic motivation and positive emotional states.

(Sardi et al. (Sardi et al. [ 15 ])). A third review of 40 studies of educational interventions using gamification with healthcare professionals also concluded that it is possible to improve learning outcomes in health profession education through gamification, especially when using game attributes that improve learning behaviours and attitudes towards learning (Van Gaalen et al. (Van Gaalen et al. [ 16 ])). High satisfaction rates and positive changes in behaviour and learning have been reported.

However, many studies had short evaluation periods, reducing result accuracy. Therefore, long-term empirical evaluations are recommended for gamified applications, especially in therapy and prevention.

Furthermore many of the reviewed studies do not compare the results with equivalent control groups, so there is a need to delve deeper into and explore theories that can explain the effects of gamified interventions with well-defined longitudinal control groups (Manterola et al. (Manterola et al. [ 17 ])). All three reviews agree that additional studies are needed in this regard.

Kirkpatrick developed an organizational model that has been used for the evaluation of training actions (Johnston et al. (Johnston et al. [ 18 ]); –Pertiñez (Pertiñez [ 20 ])). It is based on the classification of learning on four levels:

Reaction: Participants’ perceptions or satisfaction with training interventions immediately after receiving them.

Learning: knowledge and skills acquired by taking, for example, a knowledge test before and after the intervention.

Attitude or application of learning: the application of knowledge in the workplace and, consequently, any changes in service delivery. It is recommended to wait at least 3–6 weeks to evaluate this phenomenon.

Outcomes: assesses whether the learning is transferred to the clinical setting and whether it improves patient outcomes. This could be the impact of the training on the population.

Educational impact assessment provides valuable information for educators to assist in the development and improvement of teaching methods. In training activities, it is important not only to assess the impact on knowledge gain but also to determine whether this learning translates into changes in attitudes and clinical practices after the intervention (Norman (Norman [ 21 ])). To date, online learning is known to be at least as effective as traditional learning in terms of learning acquisition, but studies evaluating the third and fourth levels, i.e., the impact of educational interventions on changing practitioner attitudes and improving patient goals, are still scarce (DeSilets et al. (DeSilets et al. [ 22 ]); , Sinclair et al. (Sinclair et al. [ 23 ])).

A gamified educational intervention, the SEXIT videogame, will generate knowledge about sexuality education; access to health care; and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. It will contribute to better health care and promote better sexual health at the community level.

Main objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a training intervention in the form of an online video game aimed at improving sexual health and STI prevention, detection, and treatment in primary care professionals.

Specific objectives

To assess the intervention’s impact on knowledge about sexual and reproductive health.

To assess and detect behaviours and knowledge for the prevention of gender violence and/or violence based on sexual identity or orientation.

To describe the changes in the clinical management of STIs: screening and diagnostic tests performed, diagnoses and antibiotic prescriptions.

We will design, develop, and evaluate an educational intervention in the form of a video game aimed at primary care professionals. The intervention will be studied and compared with control groups that will not carry out the intervention.

Design: Design-cluster randomized clinical trial with pre-post evaluation. The PCC teams (health professionals working in a primary care centre (doctors, nurses and residents)) will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group.

The intervention groups are doing a preintervention test, which will be repeated immediately after the intervention and then 3 months later. In the control groups, the test will be administered at the beginning of the study and repeated after 3 months. In addition to questions to assess knowledge, there will be a qualitative assessment satisfaction survey for the participants. This test will also be carried out at the same time in control groups with the same sociodemographic characteristics.

The intervention will consist of an online video game developed by a multidisciplinary team.

Study population, site participation, and recruitment

The study will be conducted in primary care centres (PCCs) managed by the Institut Català de la Salut (ICS, Catalan Health Institute), the main primary care service provider in Catalonia, with the participation of family and community medicine areas and nursing residents and professionals from PCCs of the public health system.

The study will start on April 2024 (Timeline in Table  1 ).

Recruitment of participants

The PCCs (Table  2 ) will be invited to participate in the study by training referents. Participation in the study will be proposed by the primary care training referral platform. A letter and a slide presentation will be made to explain the study. Once the PCCs who wish to participate have been selected, they will be randomly assigned to a control/intervention group (Fig.  2 ).

Timeline schedule

Assignment of intervention/control groups

The assignment will be randomized by clusters (PCC).

Once the centres have been recruited, they will be stratified and matched according to the following variables: teaching/nonteaching status, classification according to the MEDEA index, percentage of assigned population of migrant origin and number of family doctors and primary care nurses with assigned quotas.

Centres with similar characteristics will be randomly assigned to the control or intervention group. The allocation of PCCs to each group will be made by a person outside the circle of researchers using a table of random numbers.

The individuals in the control group will be able to carry out the training activity once the study will be completed.

Evaluation outcomes

Independent variables.

Educational intervention: The training activity will consist of a video game accessed online from a computer and played in teams of 4–6 people. The game consists of an online escape room where the resolution of various chained tests allows knowledge to be acquired.

Variables that may act as confounders or effect modifiers

Demographic data: gender (male/female/nonbinary), sexual orientation (heterosexual/homosexual/bisexual/asexual/don’t want to answer), and age.

Professional category (medicine resident/nursing resident/doctor/nurse).

Years worked in primary care.

Training experience in STI

Training experience in sexuality.

Variables of the PCC: teaching/nonteaching; classification according to MEDEA; percentage of assigned population of migrant origin; number of family doctors and primary care nurses with assigned quota.

Main outcome

The impact of the intervention will be assessed at three levels following Kirkpatrick’s model: reaction, learning, and clinical behaviour change.

Dependent variables

Reaction : assessment of satisfaction with the intervention. Satisfaction will be measured with a qualitative survey on the formative activity that will be administered to the intervention groups after playing the game (Table  3 ).

Knowledge change will be measured with a self-developed questionnaire. Prior to implementation, the questionnaire will be validated through evaluation by a group of health professionals with expertise in STIs and pilot testing by resident doctors and nurses who will not subsequently participate in the study. The clarity of the questions, comprehension of the instructions, length of the test, and relevance of the distractors will be evaluated. Modifications suggested in the expert judgement and pilot testing will be incorporated into the questionnaire.

The questionnaires will include:

Knowledge test (Table  4 ): 25 multiple choice questions with 4 possible answers.

The items included in the questionnaire will be prevention of gender violence and/or violence based on sexual identity or orientation and clinical approach to STI.

Evaluation of changes in the application of the knowledge acquired in clinical practice

The impact of the training intervention will be evaluated for 6 months by studying different variables related to the clinical approach to treating STIs:

Performance of diagnostic tests: multitest PCR, exudate culture, and serology.

Recording of aetiologically oriented health problems in clinical history.

Number of epidemiological surveys (data provided by the Public Health Agency).

Prescription of antibiotics.

These clinical data will be collected from health professionals during the 6 months following the intervention, both in the intervention and control groups.

Antibiotic use data will be collected from electronic prescriptions generated by health professionals.

Data collection and sources of information

The participants in each group will complete an initial knowledge test. Once the first knowledge test will be completed, the participants in the intervention group will carry out the training activity, and at the end of the activity, they will answer the knowledge test again and complete a satisfaction survey on the same platform. The control group will not complete these post-intervention questionnaires. After 3 months, the knowledge test will be repeated for both the intervention and control groups. The data will be collected and stored in the same way.

Clinical data (request for tests, recording of health problems and antibiotic prescriptions) will be extracted from the computerized medical records.

Data from epidemiological surveys of notifiable diseases will be requested from the Public Health Agency.

Study population

Inclusion criteria for participants will be as follows: family and community medicine and nursing residents; family doctors; and primary care nurses with assigned quotas.

Exclusion criteria will be: not having online gaming devices; not being able to follow up for 6 months; being an STI referral professional (STI referrers are those professionals who, after specific training, are designated as consultants with or without their own STI agenda).

Statistical analysis

Calculation of sample size.

The sample size was determined based on findings from a pilot test involving pre- and post-intervention assessments conducted on 35 health professionals. Using the mean intervention effect (the mean test score improvement) and its standard deviation to estimate the expected intervention effect and within-group variability in the pilot test, the mean improvement was 2.07, with a standard deviation of 4.07. Assuming an alpha error of 0.05, a beta error of 0.2, and a design effect factor of 2 and expecting a 20% loss to follow-up after a 6-month period, the required sample size would be 262 (131 per group).In addition, the proportion of the LGTBIQ + population was considered to carry out a subsequent analysis from a gender and LGTBIQ + perspective. To estimate the proportion of LGTBIQ + professionals, data from the IPSOS (DeSilets et al. (DeSilets et al. [ 22 ])) survey were used; 14% of the Spanish population is estimated to belong to this group. This is the same proportion obtained in the sample of the pilot test (5 individuals (14.29% of the 35 participants) identified as LGTBIQ + ..

Planned analysis

For the treatment and analysis of the data, a descriptive analysis of the variables (percentages and averages with measures of dispersion) will be carried out according to the nature of the variables.

Demographic and background data: descriptive statistics will be used (mean, median, standard deviation, range) to summarize the characteristics of the participants, including age, sex, years worked, etc. The distribution of test scores will be used to observe the distribution of pre- and postintervention test scores.

Sensitivity analysis of the instrument: Analyses will be repeated using different methods to verify the robustness of the results.

Comparison of baselines – Mann‒Whitney U or independent sample T-tests: whether the groups will be comparable in terms of demographic characteristics and baseline scores. Chi-square tests will be used to compare categorical proportions between groups (if applicable).

Analysis of the effect of the intervention: T-tests for dependent samples or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests will be used to compare pre- and postintervention values within the same group. ANCOVA (analysis of covariance): to control for confounding or baseline variables, ANCOVA could be useful. Mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA): for multiple repeated measures (for example, pre, post- and 3-month follow-up).

Cluster analysis (if applicable): Multilevel analysis or mixed models. These models will be useful for considering the hierarchical nature of clusters in the data.

Lost data management – sensitivity analysis: To determine if missing data affects the results. Imputation techniques such as multiple imputation could be used if there is a significant amount of missing data.

Limitations

The intervention to be assessed cannot be masked since it could influence its effect. Because there is a possibility of contamination bias among professionals, randomization by clusters is proposed under the assumption that the number of clusters would be sufficient for each group.

Geographic dispersion of the PCC will reduce the possibility of contamination.

Participants will know they are being assessed, which could lead to observer bias, although comparisons with a control group who will also know they are being observed may reduce the effect of this bias in the surveys. On the other hand, regarding the clinical variables of the professionals, it is thought that the observation time is long enough that the fact that they are being observed does not interfere with their clinical use.

We expect to obtain a validated educational tool that, through gamification, allows primary care professionals to increase their knowledge of sexuality, sexually transmitted infections, and the prevention and detection of violence, improving the results of the evaluation test after the educational intervention.

Expected results:

An increase in the knowledge of sexuality, sexually transmitted infections, and the prevention and detection of violence among primary care professionals, as well as an improvement in the results of the evaluation test after the educational intervention and improved results in the participants of the intervention groups compared to their control groups.

An increase in the number of diagnostic and screening tests performed after the intervention in comparison to the control group.

A better recording of diagnoses and more appropriate antibiotic treatments for the groups of professionals for whom the intervention will be carried out.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the tool used by primary care professionals But in the near future it is expected to be possible to play the game at different levels of difficulty.. The level of difficulty will depend on the videogame players: professionals, university students of health sciences or patient populations as young people.

We expect to build an educational tool that motivates active participation and facilitates acquisition of knowledge and safe behaviours related to sexual health in the short and medium term, including the prevention and detection of violence based on gender, sexual identity or orientation, access to the health system, and prevention, detection, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. Likewise, we expect this tool to be a facilitator of health education for at-risk or vulnerable groups.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are will be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and plus

Primary care

Primary care centre

Polymerase chain reaction

Randomized controlled trial

• Sexually transmitted infections

Área de vigilancia del VIH y conductas de riesgo. Vigilancia epidemiológica de las infecciones de transmisión sexual, 1995–2015. Madrid: Centro Nacional de Epidemiología/Subdirección General de Promoción de la Salud y Epidemiología - Plan Nacional sobre el Sida, 2017.

Centro Europeo para la Prevención y el Control de Enfermedades. Infecciones de transmisión sexual en Europa 2013. Stockholm, 2015.

Sentís A, Martín-Sánchez M, Arando M, Vall M, Barberà MJ, Ocaña I, et al. Sexually transmitted infections in young people and factors associated with HIV coinfection: An observational study in a large city. BMJ Open. 2019May 5;9(5): e027245.

Article   Google Scholar  

Seth P, DiClemente RJ, Lovvorn AE. State of the evidence: intimate partner violence and HIV/STI risk among adolescents. Curr HIV Res. 2013 Oct;11(7):528–35. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570162x12666140129103122 . PMID: 24476354. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24476354/

Stubbs A, Szoeke C. The Effect of Intimate Partner Violence on the Physical Health and Health-Related Behaviors of Women: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2022Oct;23(4):1157–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020985541 . ( Epub 2021 Feb 5 PMID: 33541243 ).

Hess KL, Javanbakht M, Brown JM, Weiss RE, Hsu P, Gorbach PM. Intimate partner violence and sexually transmitted infections among young adult women. Sex Transm Dis. 2012May;39(5):366–71. https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3182478fa5.PMID:22504601;PMCID:PMC3856434 .

Centro Joven de Atención a las Sexualidades. https://centrejove.org/violenciamachista/

Beemer LR, Ajibewa TA, DellaVecchia G, Hasson RE. A Pilot Intervention Using Gamification to Enhance Student Participation in Classroom Activity Breaks. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019Oct 24;16(21):4082.

Grimalt R. Técnicas de innovación docente en dermatología. Piel. 2020; 35(8).

Mayer RE. Computer Games in Education. Annu Rev Psychol. 2019Jan;4(70):531–49. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102744 . ( Epub 2018 Sep 19 PMID: 30231003 ).

Feeley TH, Keller M, Kayler L. Using Animated Videos to Increase Patient Knowledge: A Meta-Analytic Review. Health Educ Behav. 2023Apr;50(2):240–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981221116791 . ( Epub 2022 Aug 11 PMID: 35950326 ).

DeSmet A, Shegog R, Van Ryckeghem D, Crombez G, De Bourdeaudhuij I. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Interventions for Sexual Health Promotion Involving Serious Digital Games. Games Health J. 2015Apr;4(2):78–90.

Maestre JM, Rudolph JW. Teorías y estilos de debriefing: el método con buen juicio como herramienta de evaluación formativa en salud. Rev Esp Cardiol. 2015Apr;68(4):282–5.

Gentry SV, Gauthier A, L’Estrade Ehrstrom B, Wortley D, Lilienthal A, Tudor Car L, et al. Serious Gaming and Gamification Education in Health Professions: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2019Mar 28;21(3): e12994.

Sardi L, Idri A, Fernández-Alemán JL. A systematic review of gamification in e-Health. J Biomed Inform. 2017Jul;71:31–48.

Van Gaalen AEJ, Brouwer J, Schönrock-Adema J, Bouwkamp-Timmer T, Jaarsma ADC, Georgiadis JR. Gamification of health professions education: A systematic review. Adv Health Sci Educ. 2021May 31;26(2):683–711.

Manterola C, Otzen T. Estudios Experimentales 2 Parte: Estudios Cuasi-Experimentales. Int J Morphol. 2015Mar;33(1):382–7.

Johnston S, Coyer FM, Nash R. Kirkpatrick’s Evaluation of Simulation and Debriefing in Health Care Education: A Systematic Review. J Nurs Educ. 2018Jul;57(7):393–8.

Kirkpatrick DL, Kirkpatrick JD. Evaluating Training Programs. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1994.

Pertiñez MJ. Educación continua. AMF. 2022;18(1):8–17.

Google Scholar  

Norman G. Teaching basic science to optimize transfer. Med Teach. 2009Jan 9;31(9):807–11.

DeSilets LD. An Update on Kirkpatrick’s Model of Evaluation: Part Two. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 2018Jul;49(7):292–3.

Sinclair PM, Kable A, Levett-Jones T, Booth D. The effectiveness of Internet-based e-learning on clinician behaviour and patient outcomes: A systematic review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2016May;57:70–81.

Ipsos Global Advisor Survey. LGTB+ Pride 2023 https://www.ipsos.com/en/pride-month-2023-9-of-adults-identify-as-lgbt

Departament de Salut. RESOLUCIÓ SLT/3896/2021, de 23 de desembre. DOGC núm. 8580. https://web.gencat.cat/web/shared/OVT/Departaments/SLT/Documents/Formularis_pdf/SUBV_Resolucio_admesos_atencio_primaria_PERIS2021.pdf

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the financial support provided by the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation in Health (PERIS) of the Government of Catalonia (Spain).

The research team would like to thank the City of Barcelona Multidisciplinary Teaching Unit, who supported the pilot trial; the collaboration of the Dermatology Working Group of the Catalan Society for Family and Community Medicine (CAMFiC); the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB); and the University Institute for Primary Health Care Research Jordi Gol i Gurina Foundation (IDIAP Jordi Gol).

This project has major external funding, courtesy of the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The project obtained funding through a competitive selection process dedicated to funding research initiatives in the field of primary health care. In 2021, the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation in Health (PERIS) 2022–2024 published a call for grants specifically aimed at research projects in primary care (ref. BDNS 604045), which led to the approval of the project through RESOLUTION SLT/3896/2021 (Departament (Departament [ 25 ])).

In addition, the project has received financial support from the semFYC private foundation. This support was extended following the award of the Isabel Fernández 2023 grant, specifically for the completion of doctoral theses.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Gerència d’Atenció Primària Barcelona Ciutat, Institut Català de La Salut (ICS), Carrer Balmes, Barcelona, 22, 08007, Spain

Alba Martinez-Satorres, Carme Roca-Saumell, Marta Arcarons-Marti, Francisco Javier Fernandez-Segura, Carolina Allegra Wagner, Pablo Pires-Nuñez, Nuria Turmo-Tristan, Andrea Maron-Lopez, Zulema Marti-Oltra, Marta Vanrell-Nicolau, Sonia Da Silva Torres, Alvaro Ruiz-Torres, Pablo Pino-Prieto, Dhyaanenshan Pillay, Maria Lasagabaster-Uriarte & Maria Isabel Fernandez-San Martin

Grup de Dermatologia de La Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar I Comunitària (CAMFiC), Carrer Diputació, Barcelona, 316, 08009, Spain

Alba Martinez-Satorres, Anna Escale-Besa, Marta Arcarons-Marti, Francisco Javier Fernandez-Segura, Nuria Turmo-Tristan, Lorena Diez-Garcia, Zulema Marti-Oltra, Marta Vanrell-Nicolau, Angels Casaldaliga-Sola & Xavi Lazaro-Navarro

Unitat Docent Multiprofessional d’Atenció Familiar I Comunitària de Barcelona Ciutat, Barcelona, Spain

Alba Martinez-Satorres, Carme Roca-Saumell, Marta Arcarons-Marti, Francisco Javier Fernandez-Segura, Carolina Allegra Wagner, Alvaro Ruiz-Torres, Pablo Pino-Prieto, Dhyaanenshan Pillay, Maria Lasagabaster-Uriarte & Maria Isabel Fernandez-San Martin

Facultat de Medicina I Ciències de La Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Carrer Casanova, Barcelona, 143, 08036, Spain

Carme Roca-Saumell

Gerència d’Atenció Primària Catalunya Central, Institut Català de La Salut (ICS), Carrer Pica d’Estats, 13-15, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Barcelona, 08272, Spain

Anna Escale-Besa, Angels Casaldaliga-Sola & Xavi Lazaro-Navarro

Gerència d’Atenció Primària Metropolitana Sud, Institut Català de La Salut (ICS), Carrer Balmes, Barcelona, 22, 08007, Spain

Anna Escale-Besa

Grup de Violències Masclistes de La Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar I Comunitària (CAMFiC), Carrer Diputació, Barcelona, 316, 08009, Spain

Carolina Allegra Wagner

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

AMS conceived the study and participated in its design and coordination. MFS, CRS, MAM, FFS, PPN, AEB, NTT, CAW, LDG, MLE, AML, and ZMO participated in different phases of the protocol study design. AMS wrote the final manuscript, and AEB, MFS, ART and CAW collaborated in the writing of the manuscript. All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Alba Martinez-Satorres or Francisco Javier Fernandez-Segura .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Atenció Primària (University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care) – Jordi Gol i Gurina Ethics Committee approved the trial study protocol (Code 22/072-P). Written informed consent will be obtained from all professionals participating in the study.

Consent for publication

NA. The manuscript doesn’t contain any identifiable information or images of participants.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Martinez-Satorres, A., Roca-Saumell, C., Escale-Besa, A. et al. Evaluation of the impact of an online video game as an educational intervention on sexual health and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infection: A randomized controlled trial protocol. BMC Med Educ 24 , 922 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05903-3

Download citation

Received : 20 February 2024

Accepted : 13 August 2024

Published : 26 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05903-3

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Sex education
• Health education
• Health promotion
• Sexual health
• Gamification

BMC Medical Education

ISSN: 1472-6920

• General enquiries: [email protected]