Creating a Practical Observation

Practical observations are the cornerstone of skill-based training. Nimbu's Practical Observation tool allows you to move away from paper-based checklists and build structured, digital assessment tools that trainers can use in real-time. By digitising these tasks, you ensure consistent delivery across all cohorts and create a permanent, secure record of student performance.

What's Covered in This Article

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the standard process for creating a new practical observation tool.

• Building the Observation "Blueprint"
• Configuration Guide: Step-by-Step
  • Step 1: Navigate and Initialise
  • Step 2: Set Instructions and Information
  • Step 3: Add Questions
  • Step 4: Configure Question-Specific Settings
  • Step 5: Preview and Publish

Building the Observation "Blueprint"

Whether you are assessing a student's ability to conduct a risk assessment or demonstrate a specific manual skill, Nimbu provides a flexible framework for recording every critical step of the observation.

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the standard process for creating a new practical observation tool.

Configuration Guide: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Navigate and Initialise

Practical observations are managed within your Content registry.

1. From the left-hand sidebar, select Assessment / Practical / Observation Tasks
2. Click Add button
3. Then select the Practical/Observation button to start a new task

Step 2: Set Instructions and Information

On the Pre-practical/observation Information tab, define the parameters of the task:

• Title: Enter a clear, descriptive name for the observation.
• Introduction Message: Use the text editor to provide clear instructions to the student or trainer about what will be observed.
• Supporting Documents: Upload any required templates, procedures, or reference materials that students or trainers must access

• Additional Settings:
  • Repeat Times: Set how many times the observation can be repeated for the same student (1–100 attempts)
  • Agreement Declaration: Require students to accept terms and conditions before starting the observation
  • Manual Trainer Activation: Enable this if the observation should not be immediately accessible and must be manually activated by the trainer in Class Management
  • Internal Note: Add private notes visible only to content editors and trainers. Students cannot see these notes

Step 3: Add Questions

Switch to the Edit Questions tab to build your observation tool:

Observations support three question types:

1. Checklist (document with checkmark icon)

Select the Checklist icon to create a series of specific tasks or criteria. You can add multiple observation tasks within one checklist for a comprehensive review.

Use for: Systematic verification of steps, safety procedures, or competency indicators

2. Short Answer (pen icon)

Use the Pen icon to add questions requiring students to provide a concise, written response.

Use for: Reflections, explanations of processes, or documentation of decision-making

3. Online Submission (upward arrow icon)

Use the Upward Arrow icon to allow students to upload files, documents, photos, or videos as evidence.

Use for: Photos of completed work, filled templates, project documentation, or video demonstrations

Step 4: Configure Question-Specific Settings

For each checklist or question, you can define how it is delivered:

Student Completion

• Toggle "Require students to complete the task" to determine who completes this question:
  • Enabled (Student-required question): Students must provide input before the trainer can mark it
  • Disabled (Trainer-only question): Only the trainer completes this question; students do not interact with it

Trainer Assignment (Trainer-only questions only)

This option only appears when "Require students to complete" is turned off.

Determine if the task is marked:

• Individually: Trainer completes this question separately for each student
• Apply to class: Trainer's answer to this question applies to all students simultaneously.

Use case: During a fire safety drill, use "Apply to class" for shared criteria observed across the entire group, rather than completing separate checklists for each student.

Step 5: Preview and Publish

Before going live, ensure the task looks exactly as intended:

1. Select the Preview tab to view the observation from the user's perspective
2. Review all questions, instructions, and settings
3. If finalised, click the red Publish button in the top-right corner
4. To continue working later, select Save as Draft

Related Articles

• What is a Practical Observation?
• Observation Question Types
• Observation Settings