The Evaluation of a Programmed Learning Course

A Linear Educational Study on the Intake of a Single Year into Medical School

“…In order to study the effectiveness of the course, similar methods to those used previously (Buckley‐Sharp et al , 1969) have been employed. This involves the calculation of values of Student's t between groups of candidates’ scores, using their various overall scores as parameters.…”

“…This involves the calculation of values of Student's t between groups of candidates’ scores, using their various overall scores as parameters. The scoring procedure, and parameters used have been previously described (Harris and Buckley‐Sharp, 1968, Buckley‐Sharp et al , 1969). Table 5 shows the t values between groups on their pre‐course test.…”

“…Student's t tests between subjects at second MB, and between overall examination results in pathology were also used. The use of Student's t in course assessment using identical tests has been previously demonstrated (Buckley‐Sharp, Harris, Jepson, Smith, and Walker, 1969), but, in this study, the group performance on different tests is considered, although similar methods of interpretation may be applied.…”

An assessment of a final qualifying examination

“…We hope that, the results of MB examination papers will be made more freely available for approved research purposes than in the past. Large amounts of in‐course assessment results are available to us from very many departments, but only if MB scores can also be made available, can any formal conclusion be made to our linear study (Buckley‐Sharp et al , 1970). Such studies will begin to give us a much better picture of the sort of role which in‐course testing could play in our own school.…”

“…For these reasons, we have previously studied the use of multiple‐choice questions as programmed course tests (Buckley‐Sharp, Harris, Jepson, Smith, and Walker, 1969), as methods of assessing complete courses (Buckley‐Sharp, Shenderey, Hobsley, and Marcusson, 1971), and as methods of continuous assessment (Buckley‐Sharp et al , 1970). We report here an analysis of Final MB scores.…”