Authentic assessment emphasizes the application of knowledge and skills in contexts that mirror real-world practice. In health sciences education, authentic assessment tasks—such as clinical simulations, case analyses, portfolios, and project-based evaluations—measure how effectively learners can integrate theory with practice. These approaches align evaluation with the competencies and professional judgment required in health care settings.

In both didactic and clinical environments, authentic assessment supports deeper learning, promotes reflective practice, and enhances students' readiness for professional roles. It shifts evaluation from recall-based testing toward demonstration of learning in complex, realistic situations that reflect professional standards and values.

TLC-To-Go is a production of the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Effective presentations are audience-centered. They keep the audience focused while they are informed or persuaded. Effective presentation techniques ensure that your students and peers engage with your ideas in a meaningful way. Mastering the art of effective presentations can even help you to win friends or influence people.

Rubrics are an assessment tool that guide grading by articulating specific components of assignments and communicating expectations for those components. Rubrics lend themselves to assessments where it is important to communicate high expectations, provide targeted feedback, and demonstrate learning priorities. When provided to students and used for assessment, rubrics purposefully communicate your expectations and priorities.

As more students enter health professions programs with multiple language backgrounds, supporting the needs of English language learners (ELL) has become an important focus for educators. Strengthening support for these learners also helps prepare future healthcare professionals to serve patients from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. By applying evidence-based practices for working with ELL students, faculty can help ensure that all learners are well equipped to meet the communication demands of today's healthcare environment.

TLC To Go is a production of the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Planning, preparation, and sleep are vital to the success of students at UTHSC. This section includes advice and techniques that prepare students for academic success.

Accessible learning and course design removes avoidable barriers so all learners—across abilities, languages, technologies, and contexts—can engage, demonstrate competence, and progress. In the health sciences, accessibility is essential for professional formation, clinical safety, and patient care. It is also an anticipatory practice: designing for variability from the start (e.g., captions, structured documents, flexible assessments) reduces the need for individual retrofits and supports every learner's success.

Effective scaffolding strategies help learners move beyond their current level of understanding by providing structured support as they build new skills. Rooted in Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, scaffolding enables students to tackle challenging tasks with guided assistance—promoting deeper learning, confidence, and independence. In the health sciences, where learners often encounter complex clinical reasoning and high-stakes performance tasks, scaffolding allows educators to support the development of competence while maintaining appropriate levels of challenge. Scaffolded instruction can take many forms, including breaking down tasks, modeling expert thinking, providing timely feedback, and gradually transferring responsibility to learners.

TLC‧To‧Go is produced by the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, with the assistance of NotebookLM. Find more information about the TLC at http://tlc.uthsc.edu.

Metacognition—the awareness and control of one's thinking—and self-regulation—the ability to plan, monitor, and adjust one's learning behaviors—are essential for academic success and professional growth in the health sciences. Together, these processes enable learners to assess what they know, identify gaps, select appropriate strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness in both academic and clinical settings. In health professions education, students face complex tasks requiring reflection, adaptability, and persistence. Teaching students to think metacognitively and regulate their learning helps them become self-directed learners capable of clinical reasoning, ethical decision-making, and lifelong improvement. These skills are not innate; they can be developed through targeted instruction and structured practice.

TLC‧To‧Go is produced by the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, with the assistance of NotebookLM. Find more information about the TLC at http://tlc.uthsc.edu.