Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T06:45:40.657Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Validation and evaluation of new assessments for the otolaryngology undergraduate medical clerkship

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2015

R Woods ,
T Subramaniam ,
A Patterson ,
M Hennessy  and
C Timon
R Woods*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
T Subramaniam
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
A Patterson
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
M Hennessy
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
C Timon
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
*
Address for correspondence: Mr Robbie Woods, Trinity Department of Otolaryngology, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2, Ireland E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives:

To validate and evaluate a short answer question paper and objective structured clinical examination. Validity and effect on overall performance were considered.

Methods:

Students completed a voluntary short answer question paper during their otolaryngology attachment. Short answer question paper results were collated and compared to the essay examination and new end of year objective structured clinical examination.

Results:

The study comprised 160 students. Questions were validated for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76). Correlations were determined for: short answer question paper and essay results (r = 0.477), short answer question paper and objective structured clinical examination results (r = 0.355), and objective structured clinical examination and essay results (r = 0.292). On unpaired t-tests comparing the short answer question paper group and non-short answer question paper group, essay results were 1.2 marks higher (p = 0.45) and the objective structured clinical examination results were 0.09 marks lower (p = 0.74) in the short answer question paper group.

Conclusion:

Two new valid summative assessments of student ability have been introduced, which contribute to an enhanced programme of assessment to drive student learning.

Keywords

OtolaryngologyClinical ClerkshipEducation, Medical, UndergraduateExamination QuestionsReliability And ValidityEducational Assessment
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 129 , Issue 12 , December 2015 , pp. 1228 - 1233
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Presented at the Irish Otolaryngology Society annual meeting, 11 October 2014, Donegal, Ireland.

References

1Epstein, RM. Assessment in medical education. N Engl J Med 2007;356:387–96CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Van Der Vleuten, CP. The assessment of professional competence: developments, research and practical implications. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 1996;1:41–67CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Wass, V, Van der Vleuten, C, Shatzer, J, Jones, R. Assessment of clinical competence. Lancet 2001;357:945–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Miller, GE. The assessment of clinical skills/competence/performance. Acad Med 1990;65(9 suppl):S63–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Schuwirth, LW, van der Vleuten, CP. ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: written assessment. BMJ 2003;326:643–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Vergis, A, Hardy, K. Principles of assessment: a primer for medical educators in the clinical years. Internet Journal of Medical Education 2009;1(1)Google Scholar
7Hayes, A, Holden, C, Gaynor, D, Kavanagh, B, Otoom, S. Bridging the gap: a program to enhance medical students’ learning experience in the foundation year. Bahrain Medical Bulletin 2013;35:201–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Voorhees, KI, Prado-Gutierrez, A, Epperly, T, Dirkson, D. A proposal for reform of the structure and financing of primary care graduate medical education. Fam Med 2013;45:164–70Google ScholarPubMed
9Lambert, T, Goldacre, R, Smith, F, Goldacre, MJ. Reasons why doctors choose or reject careers in general practice: national surveys. Br J Gen Pract 2012;62:e851–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Department of Health. A High Quality Workforce: NHS Next Stage Review. London: HMSO, 2008Google Scholar
11Vinayak, BC, Bates, GJ. Undergraduate training in ENT - time for change? J R Soc Med 1993;86:181Google ScholarPubMed
12Clamp, PJ, Gunasekaran, S, Pothier, DD, Saunders, MW. ENT in general practice: training, experience and referral rates. J Laryngol Otol 2007;121:580–3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Hu, A, Sardesai, MG, Meyer, TK. A need for otolaryngology education among primary care providers. Med Educ Online 2012;17:17350CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Donnelly, MJ, Walsh, MA, Hone, S, O'Sullivan, P. Examining the ear: clinical teaching. Med Educ 1996;30:299–302CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Donnelly, MJ, Quraishi, MS, McShane, DP. ENT and general practice: a study of paediatric ENT problems seen in general practice and recommendations for general practitioner training in ENT in Ireland. Ir J Med Sci 1995;164:209–11CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Mace, AD, Narula, AA. Survey of current undergraduate otolaryngology training in the United Kingdom. J Laryngol Otol 2004;118:217–20CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Khan, MM, Saeed, SR. Provision of undergraduate otorhinolaryngology teaching within General Medical Council approved UK medical schools: what is current practice? J Laryngol Otol 2012;126:340–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Sharma, A, Machen, K, Clarke, B, Howard, D. Is undergraduate otorhinolaryngology teaching relevant to junior doctors working in accident and emergency departments? J Laryngol Otol 2006;120:949–51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Wass, V, Bowden, R, Jackson, N. The principles of assessment design. In: Jackson, N, Jameson, A, Khan, A, eds. Assessment in Medical Education and Training: A Practical Guide. Oxford: Radcliffe, 2007;11–26Google Scholar
20Al-Wardy, NM. Assessment methods in undergraduate medical education. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J 2010;10:203–9Google ScholarPubMed
21van der Vleuten, CP, Schuwirth, LW. Assessing professional competence: from methods to programmes. Med Educ 2005;39:309–17CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Hawthorne, K. Assessment in the undergraduate curriculum. In: Jackson, N, Jameson, A, Khan, A, eds. Assessment in Medical Education and Training: A Practical Guide. Oxford: Radcliffe, 2007;27–40Google Scholar
23Raj, N, Badcock, LJ, Brown, GA, Deighton, CM, O'Reilly, SC. Design and validation of 2 objective structured clinical examination stations to assess core undergraduate examination skills of the hand and knee. J Rheumatol 2007;34:421–4Google ScholarPubMed
24Chandratilake, M, Davis, M, Ponnamperuma, G. Evaluating and designing assessments for medical education: the utility formula. Internet Journal of Medical Education 2009;1(1)Google Scholar
25Newble, D. Techniques for measuring clinical competence: objective structured clinical examinations. Med Educ 2004;38:199–203CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Harden, RM, Gleeson, FA. Assessment of clinical competence using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Med Educ 1979;13:41–54CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Munro, N, Denney, ML, Rughani, A, Foulkes, J, Wilson, A, Tate, P. Ensuring reliability in UK written tests of general practice: the MRCGP examination 1998–2003. Med Teach 2005;27:37–45CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Schuwirth, LW, van der Vleuten, CP. Different written assessment methods: what can be said about their strengths and weaknesses? Med Educ 2004;38:974–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Evans, DJ, Zeun, P, Stanier, RA. Motivating student learning using a formative assessment journey. J Anat 2014;224:296–303CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Lloyd, S, Tan, ZE, Taube, MA, Doshi, J. Development of an ENT undergraduate curriculum using a Delphi survey. Clin Otolaryngol 2014;39:281–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Powell, J, Cooles, FA, Carrie, S, Paleri, V. Is undergraduate medical education working for ENT surgery? A survey of UK medical school graduates. J Laryngol Otol 2011;125:896–905CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32Ranta, M, Hussain, SS, Gardiner, Q. Factors that inform the career choice of medical students: implications for otolaryngology. J Laryngol Otol 2002;116:839–41CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Fowell, SL, Bligh, JG. Recent developments in assessing medical students. Postgrad Med J 1998;74:18–24CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed