Assessment of basic medical sciences in an integrated systems‐based curriculum

Abstract

Basic medical sciences at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) are taught in a systems-based curriculum. During the development of the courses different formats have been used for the written examinations and also different types of questions. This paper compares students' performance in relation to examination format and to types of questions used. The formats were non-coordinated (NCAs), each discipline having a separate paper; coordinated (CAs), questions from various disciplines being given in the same paper but with separate sections for each discipline; and integrated assessments (IAs), questions being grouped under structure, function, and problem-based integrated long essays. The types of questions used were multiple choice (MCQs), short essays (SEQs), and structured integrated long essays (SILEQs). Students performed better in SEQs than in MCQs. Our analyses also show that SILEQs measure skills similar to those of MCQs and SEQs combined. Students performed best in NCAs. In CAs, students concentrated on those disciplines carrying most weight in the final grade. Currently we use IAs consisting of two parts: part I, comprising MCQs and SEQs, and part II, comprising SILEQs. To date, students are performing better in part II than in part I. We suggest that it is prudent to use different types of questions to measure students' knowledge and skills when IAs are used for systems-based courses.

Comparison of performance in physiology subject assessed by short essay type questions and multiple choice questions of first year medical students

“…It may be due to attention of students diverted from text books towards made easy and MCQ books, as observed in feedback given by students. On the basis of our data, along with other authors 11,13,14 we also believe that long essay questions and clinical problem based assessment is a sensitive test that evaluates higher cognitive skill including analysis, interpretation and application of skills. Item writing flows 15 were observed in 46% of MCQs given to medical students in the United States of America resulting in 15% extra failure that were otherwise pass.…”

“…9 Our data showed that objective type of examinations results in to greater scoring over conventional type of method in theory and practical. In previous studies 10,11 authors observed that the score obtained in MCQs was similar to the score of SEQs and concluded that the students who performed well in the essay were also likely to do well in the MCQs. In contrast, the observations of our study are strengthened by a study 12 in which it was stated that MCQs scores higher compared with long essay questions.…”

A Study on the Performance of Medical Students in Internal Assessment and its Correlates to Final Examinations of 2 nd MBBS Pharmacology Curriculum in a Medical College of Eastern India

“…Learning styles (visual, aural, read/write, kinaesthetic and multimodal modes of learning), demographics (age and gender), and entry qualifications are some of the independent variables in this study that were not taken into account. Previous studies by Ghosh et al, [8] Oyebola et al, [9] Moqattash et al, [10] and Mujeeb et al, [11] all reflecting on the medical students assessments had not taken into account the internal assessment score records as an integrative modality for evaluation. This is perhaps the first study showing a definite correlation between continuous evaluation and the final examinations at the end of 2 nd MBBS Pharmacology curriculum in the backdrop of the existing medical education system.…”

Differences in Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions Performance Among Medical and Dental Trainees as Reflected in Their Anatomy Course

“…Therefore, a wider and well-articulated reading is adopted in MCQs compared to the SAQs examination format. However, it was suggested that the higher scores in MCQs may be due to the attention of students diverted from textbooks towards MCQs resources (MCQs textbooks, past questions, and internet sources), as documented in feedback given by students in previous studies [26][27][28].…”