Students designing assessment for future practice

Abstract

Background Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are used at all stages of medical training. However, their focus on testing students' recall of facts rather than actively facilitating learning remains an ongoing concern for educators. Having students develop MCQ items is a possible strategy to enhance the learning potential of MCQs. Methods Medical students wrote MCQs as part of a course on the medical care of vulnerable populations. Student perceptions of learning and assessment through MCQ writing were explored via surveys and focus group interviews. Survey responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and transcribed interviews were analysed thematically. Results Students reported that writing MCQs enhanced their learning and exam preparation and reduced their exam-related anxiety. It encouraged students to research what they did not know and benchmark their learning to that of their peers. Students described using deep learning strategies, were motivated to write high quality MCQ items for their peers and prioritised vocational learning in the development of their questions. Conclusion The study suggests student-developed MCQs can enhance the learning value of MCQs as a form of assessment. It also highlighted that students can be capable designers of assessment and that learning processes can be improved if students are provided agency over their learning and assessment.

Developing future medical educators in an Australian medical program: supervisors’ reflections on the first four years of MD Professional Project implementation

“…It is not surprising therefore, that students constantly request practice examinations to prepare for their summative and often high stakes assessment. Students completing the assessment projects reap the advertised learning benefits of creating their own assessment questions [23,24]. They also add value to the learning of their peers and colleagues by providing feedback on examination performance and by coaching them to write MCQs.…”

Allowing the best of each person to emerge: A reflection on student-academic partnership in developing two multimedia tools for peer-assisted learning in medical education

“…The aim was for students to gain a greater understanding of the subject matter by being responsible for researching and writing the MCQs in their entirety. In their study, Kelly et al (2018) found that student-developed MCQs can enhance the value of MCQs as a form of assessment. This parallels what we ourselves experienced insofar as there was generally a positive impact on those of our subsequent assessments which were based on MCQs.…”