The Impact of Virtual Background Characteristics on Asynchronous Video Ratings for Health Professions Education Admissions

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges for Health Professions Education programs, especially those that needed to switch from in-person to online interviewing as a means of evaluating applicants. Particularly, despite the rising use of online formats such as asynchronous video interviews (AVIs) in selection decisions, there is little evidence on the fairness and extent of bias associated with these tools in admissions contexts. The proposed project will examine how various AVI characteristics (e.g., applicants’ choice of interview location, attire) impact their evaluations. This objective will be accomplished via the intern working with Altus Assessments, who developed an AVI for admissions to programs. This research will provide not only scientific evidence on the potential biases underlying the rating of AVI responses, but also the specific interview tool (Snapshot) that Altus Assessments developed. Ultimately, this research will help guide best practices in offering a fairer test which Altus Assessments can implement.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nicolas Roulin

Student:

Partner:

Altus Assessments

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Saint Mary's University

Program: