Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Ph.D. Student in Medical Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 General Practitioner, Medical Education Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background & Objective: In recent years, with increasing awareness of limitations of traditional assessment methods in the measurement of learner capabilities, assessment methods have undergone many changes. This survey addresses the extent to which educational departments in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, use various student assessment methods.
Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted using a researcher developed tool to gather information about student assessment methods in 2012. Based on Miller’s pyramid of assessment, common student assessment methods were classified into written and oral assessment, clinical reasoning assessment, clinical skills assessment, and workplace-based assessment. Study sample consisted of all educational departments. Sampling was performed using the census method, which determined the use or lack of use of each method of assessment at different educational levels. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: The response rate was 70.43%; 81 of 115 departments completed the questionnaire. The most frequently used methods by departments were written and oral exams. Among them, the multiple choice test was the most widely applied assessment method. Patient management problem (PMP) was the most broadly used method to assess clinical reasoning. Moreover, among clinical skills assessment, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was the most commonly applied method in medical clinical courses.
Conclusion: Graduates of medical universities must acquire capabilities far beyond the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, but assessment methods used by departments do not necessarily assess their capabilities. The results of this study emphasize the need for the revision of medical student assessment programs.
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