Objective structured practical examination as a tool for the formative assessment of practical skills of undergraduate students in pharmacology

Abstract

Introduction:Assessment for practical skills in medical education needs improvement from subjective methods to objective ones. An Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) has been considered as one such method. This study is an attempt to evaluate the feasibility of using OSPE as a tool for the formative assessment of undergraduate medical education in pharmacology.Materials and Methods:Students of second year MBBS, at the end of the first term, were assessed by both the conventional practical examination and the Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE). A five-station OSPE was conducted one week after the conventional examination. The scores obtained in both were compared and a Bland Altman plot was also used for comparison of the two methods. Perceptions of students regarding the new method were obtained using a questionnaire.Results:There was no significant difference in the mean scores between the two methods (P = 0.44) using the unpaired t test. The Bland Altman plot comparing the CPE (conventional practical examination) with the OSPE showed that 96% of the differences in the scores between OSPE and CPE were within the acceptable limit of 1.96 SD. Regarding the students’ perceptions of OSPE compared to CPE, 73% responded that OSPE could partially or completely replace CPE. OSPE was judged as an objective and unbiased test as compared to CPE, by 66.4% of the students.Conclusion:Use of OSPE is feasible for formative assessment in the undergraduate pharmacology curriculum.

Objective Structured Practical Examination and Conventional Practical Examination: a Comparison of Scores

“…No comments were made on the agreement between the two methods, but the plot is clearly showing the disagreement between the two methods. However, contrary to our findings, Malhotra et al have shown that the two methods are in agreement with each other [4].…”

“…In the conventional practical examination (CPE), the examiner does not observe the student in performing the practical, which mostly extends over a long time: Students are evaluated by noting only the final result of the experiment, and the marks awarded vary markedly from one examiner to the other. In OSPE, the practical is performed in the presence of the examiner, who evaluates the psychomotor skills of the students with reference to a checklist; it is therefore based entirely on the student's performance with little scope for subjectivity [4,5]. Despite its drawbacks, the conventional system of practical evaluation holds sway even today in most of the medical colleges in India.…”

Introducing objective structured practical examination as a method of learning and evaluation for undergraduate pharmacology

“…Moreover, research shows that the type of assessment method adopted can influence student learning. [91011] Considering these facts, we introduced OSPE as a method of learning and evaluation tool for assessment of practical skills in pharmacology examinations for undergraduate students. The method was compared with the conventional method of assessment that is commonly used in India.…”

Gram staining in Microbiology for second-year MBBS students: Comparative study of student scores in Objective Structured versus Traditional Practical Examination

“…[12] However, other studies have reported no significant difference between the scores obtained in conventional practical examination and that obtained in OSPE. [13,14] …”