Pilot studies of in-course assessment for a revised medical curriculum

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Abstract
PURPOSE: To test a computer-based method of in-course assessment for a modular, systems-oriented medical curriculum at the University of Otago Medical School. METHOD: For the in-course assessment in anatomic pathology, 193 students completed five biweekly (i.e., every two weeks), criterion-referenced, computer-based quizzes incorporating many digitized photographs and a variety of question formats. The students signed up to take quizzes at any of ten available times during each quiz week. A score of 70% was required for passing each quiz, but the students could retake quizzes up to two more times in alternative versions. The students' opinions about biweekly testing and computer-based testing were sought. RESULTS: All 193 students satisfactorily completed the assessment program, with no significant problems with hardware, software, or administration during the more than 1,000 computer-based quizzes. The students valued the bi-weekly quizzes as a stimulus for study and for feedback. They strongly supported computer-based quizzes, identifying a variety of benefits in their responses to the questionnaire. The staff found that development of visually rich quizzes was greatly facilitated by the use of computers. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed the feasibility of using regular, computer-based quizzes for in-course assessment of a large medical school class and demonstrated assessments of a kind that would be difficult to achieve by means other than with computers.

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