Selected vs. Constructed response in assessing anatomy knowledge‐outcomes from a brief study

Abstract

Anatomy teaching in medical school has changed in the last few decades. However, assessing students’ knowledge has not changed despite the awareness of Bloom's taxonomy. For economical reason we rely on multiple choice questions‐MCQ (selected response) that only tests knowledge. However, the psychometric properties such as critical thinking and skill development which are part of academic achievement and progress are not assessed. Contrarily, constructed response testing demands knowledge construction and higher level of thinking; however, for faculty more time consuming to score. We conducted a pilot study. We made a MCQ exam which was also formatted as short answer that requires content specific knowledge and critical thinking. We administered this approach to a small group of incoming first year medical students taking preparatory anatomy course. In the midterm exam, constructed exam score was much lower compared to selected response score. However, in the final exam their score in the constructed exam improved considerably compared to the midterm score. Student reported that their improved performance was due to changes in their study and learning anatomy than relying on being familiar with the material. While this outcome is encouraging feasibility of this approach to a large class needs to be explored. Supported by the Office of Education and the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine.