Preceptor use of classroom assessment techniques to stimulate higher-order thinking in the clinical setting.

The purpose of this article is to provide examples of learning activities to be used as formative (interim) evaluation of an in-hospital orientation or cross-training program. Examples are provided in the form of vignettes that have been derived from strategies described in the literature as classroom assessment techniques. Although these classroom assessment techniques were originally designed for classroom experiences, they are proposed as methods for preceptors to stimulate the development of higher-order thinking such as synthesizing information, solving problems, and learning how to learn.