Examinations Dr. Kosala Marambe Medical Education Unit

Examinations

Dr. Kosala Marambe

Medical Education Unit

Lecture outline

• General feeling of students

• The purpose of assessments in education

Why and what ?

• Timing of assessments and types of assessments

• Good practices…

Examinations

Examinations

Examinations

Examinations

ExaminationsCourtsey Dr.I Karunatilake

Examinations - Why?

• To find out whether the students have acquired

knowledge

the set competencies

the desirable attitudes

Student Assessments ?

• Making a value judgment

• Measurement

• Feedback

• Certification

• Ranking

• Motivate learners

• Direct learning in a desirable direction

Many uses of student assessments

Courtesy internet

Year 1 -4 assessments

• Theory

• Practical

• Attitudes

• Viva – verification of information

• SBM Scientific basis of Medicine

CLR Communication Learning and Research

• DIS Doctor in Society

• HCT Hospital and community training

Streams

Year One

E

X S B M modules S B M Modules

E

X

DIS DIS

C L R

E

L

E

C

T

I

V

E

S

C L R

Types of tests

• Formative

To give feedback to students

To get feedback on how students are progressing

• Summative (semester exams)

Performance or achievement is assessed for certification

Formative assessment

• Is generally carried out throughout a course or project

• Formative assessment, also referred to as "educative assessment," is used to aid learning

• In an educational setting, formative assessment might be a teacher (or peer) or the learner, providing feedback on a student's work, and would not necessarily be used for grading purposes

• Formative assessments are diagnostic

Summative assessment

• is generally carried out at the end of a course or project

• In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade

• Summative assessments are evaluative

analogy

• Formative assessment - when the cook tastes the soup

• Summative assessment -when the guest taste the soup

Summative assessments and Formative assessments – possible

connection

Continuous assessments

• held during the semester

• percentage taken for the end semester examination

• Could be written tests, practical, assignments, case discussions, student presentations

Summative examinations

• Semester examinations

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

• True false and best answer

• Time per each question 3 minutes

True/False MCQ

Facilitated diffusion(a) requires ATP as an energy source(b) saturates at high solute

concentrations(c) requires energy by coupling with

an ion gradient(d) transports against the solute

concentration gradient(e) involves a carrier protein

Single best answer -example

• A 65-year-old man has difficulty rising from a seated position and straightening his trunk, but he has no difficulty flexing his leg.

• Which of the following muscles is most likely to have been injured?

• *A. Gluteus maximus• B. Gluteus minimus• C. Hamstrings• D. Iliopsoas• E. Obturator internus

MCQ 3 – Basic Sciences

Within 2 hours, most of the diners who had a meal of fried chicken, fried potatoes, peas, chocolate eclairs, and coffee became violently ill, with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Analysis of the food is most likely to yield large numbers of which of the following organisms?

A. Escherichia coliB. Proteus mirabilisC. Salmonella typhimurium*D. Staphylococcus aureusE. Streptococcus faecalis

Written Paper

• Short answer questions (List, state, define the term learning)

• Structured Essay questions (15 minutes)

• Essay questions (20 to 30 minutes)

Essay and structured essay comparison of essay and SEQ

• Describe the pathology of nephrotic syndrome in children

• 10 marks 20 mts

• Define nephrotic syndrome2 marks 4 mts

• Classify nephrotic syndrome in children3marks 6mts

• Describe the characteristic urinary findings, light microscopic, electron microscopic and immunoflourescent findings in minimal change glomerulonephritis 5 marks 10 mts

Practical exams

• Objective structured practical examinations (OSPE)

• Data interpretation stations

• Identify structures - Spots

• Role play situations (to test communication)

• Viva voce

Example of an OSPE

• Task - Examine the specimen of urine provided for proteins.

• Check list

1. Does he take a urine sample to 2/3 level in the test tube?

2. Does he boil upper 1/3 of the column?3. Does he add 2% acetic acid drop by drop?4. Does he compare change in the top layer

with the bottom layer of urine?

In summary

• The main features of OSCE/OSPE is that both the process and the product are tested giving importance to individual competencies.

• The examination covers a broad range of clinical skills much wider than a conventional examination.

• The scoring is objective, since standards of competence are preset and agreed check lists are used for scoring. Where questions are asked in response stations, these are always objective.

OSCE and OSPE

• Similarly, OSCEs and OSPEs can be made for any subject. At the end of the examination, the scores obtained in the procedure stations are totaled to give the candidate score.

• Scores at individual stations can also be released to give the candidate a meaningful feedback.

OSCE checklist

Viva voce

• A panel of examiners (2 or 3)

• Ask questions from the examinee

• Duration varies ( 5-10 mts)

Research report

• Assessed using

Marking schemesRating scalesChecklists

Assigning grades

• Each module is like a subject

• Assessed separately

• Marked out of 100 marks

• Is converted to a grade based on the distribution of marks

• Minimum pass mark is 49.5

Grade Grade point

A 4

A- 3.7

B+ 3.3

B 3

B- 2.7

C+ 2.3

C 2

C- 1.7

D+ 1.3

D 1

F 0

Pass

• Pass grade is C

• A student has to pass all modules in order to pass second or third year exam

• GPA of 2 or more (if a student pass all the modules with a grade C,GPA will be 2, therefore assured a pass)

Grade Point Average (GPA)• The GPA is the weighted average of the credit

units and grade points of all the modules taken by a student.

It is a measure of overall performance of the student. The GPA is computed using the formula given below.

• cigi• GPA = --------------• ci• ci and gi are the numbers of credit units and the

grade points of the ith course unit respectively.

Award of classes• Based on the GPA, decided at the end of

year 2 and at the end of year 4.

• GPA Class awarded

3.70 – 4.00 First Class

3.30 – 3.69 Second Class (Upper)

3.00 – 3.29 Second Class (Lower)

2.00 – 2.99 Pass

< 2.00 Fail

Module credits grade creditsxgp

Foundation 6 A (6x4)24

Respiration 3 B (3x3) 9

Circulation 6 A- (6x3.7)22.2

CLR 2 A (2x4)8

DIS 1 A (1x4)4

GPA Calculation…

• Add 24, 9,22.2, 8,4 and divided by total number of credits

• 67.2/18

• GPA =3.7

• First class

Distinctions and medals

• Subject wise

• Awarded by the respective Departments

• Criteria laid out by the Dept. concerned

Take home message

• Exams are organized to ensure justice

• A range of measurements are used

• A number of tools are used

The curriculum instructs teachers what to teach;

Donald Melnick, 1991

The exam instructs students

what to learn.

Examinations

• Examinations drive learning

• Examiners are not “monsters”

Summary

Examinations

• Most of the images are from the internet

• They were used to illustrate certain points

• Acknowledged with thanks Kosala Marambe