Abstract
BackgroundThe use of remote online delivery of summative assessments has been underexplored in medical education. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all end of year applied knowledge multiple choice question (MCQ) tests at one UK medical school were switched from on campus to remote assessments.MethodsWe conducted an online survey of student experience with remote exam delivery and compared test performance in remote versus invigilated campus-based forms of similar assessments for Year 4 and 5 students across two academic years.ResultsVery few students experienced technical or practical problems in completing their exam remotely. Test anxiety was reduced for some students but increased for others. The majority of students preferred the traditional setting of invigilated exams in a computer lab, feeling this ensured an even playing field for all candidates. Mean score was higher for Year 4 students in the remotely-delivered versus campus-based form of the same exam (76.53% [SD 6.57] vs. 72.81% [6.64]; t438.38 = 5.94, p = 0.001; d = 0.56), whereas candidate performance was equivalent across both forms for Year 5 students.ConclusionsRemote online MCQ exam delivery is an effective and generally acceptable approach to summative assessment, and could be used again in future without detriment to students if onsite delivery is not possible.
Highlights
The use of remote online delivery of summative assessments has been underexplored in medical education
Applied knowledge tests form an important component of assessment in undergraduate medical education
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities to reassess their strategies for assessment as well as teaching, with most considering adopting some form of remote exam delivery as a means of future proofing against further periods of disruption
Summary
The use of remote online delivery of summative assessments has been underexplored in medical education. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all end of year applied knowledge multiple choice question (MCQ) tests at one UK medical school were switched from on campus to remote assessments. While the use of online technology for multiple choice question (MCQ) exam delivery is well-established [1, 2], most medical schools continue to run summative assessments on campus under invigilated conditions. This is the case for higher stakes assessments such as final exams where the need to ensure test security is a major consideration [1]. There has been little research evaluating online exam platform capabilities useful to the remote
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