Web-based formative assessment through clinical cases: role in pathophysiology teaching

Nerea Fernández Ros,Felipe Lucena,Iñigo Pineda,Mercedes Iñarrairaegui,Jorge Quiroga,Carlota Jordán-Iborra,Jose Ignacio Herrero,Patricia Sunsundegui,Manuel F Landecho

doi:10.1186/s12909-021-02691-y

Abstract

BackgroundActive learning strategies such as formative assessment through clinical cases may help to get a deeper learning. We have studied the effect of this kind of online formative assessment in pathophysiology teaching.MethodsSeven brief clinical cases were used to give formative assessment in the first semester of a pathophysiology course. To evaluate its effect on learning, we analyzed the proportion of students that passed the end of semester exam with a score above 60 over 100. We also analyzed the effect of the intervention according to the students’ previous academic performance.ResultsNinety-six students participated in the study and sat the exam. Sixty-five of them passed it. Students that passed the exam had a higher previous academic performance and had done a higher number of exercises of formative assessment, both in univariate and multivariate analysis. The participants were divided in three groups, according to their previous academic performance. In the intermediate group, the number of cases done by the students who passed the exam was significantly higher than in those who did not pass it (median: 4 versus 0; P = 0.009).ConclusionFormative assessment through web-based clinical cases was followed by an improvement of the academic results in pathophysiology, mainly in students with intermediate performance.

Highlights

Active learning strategies such as formative assessment through clinical cases may help to get a deeper learning
In 2019–20, 194 students were enrolled in the Pathophysiology course and 98 (50.5%) of them gave their consent to particpate in the study
There were no significant differences in General Pathology (GP) scores between males and females and between students with or without academic delay

Summary

Introduction

Active learning strategies such as formative assessment through clinical cases may help to get a deeper learning. Active learning strategies help to obtain such a deep learning, and reinforce knowledge, as they promote the process of high order thinking. These active strategies may include teaching through directed cases [1, 2], supplementary. Formative assessment has been described as a process of appraising, judging or evaluating students’ performance and use it to improve their competence [9]. Formative assessment reinforce the central and active role of students in their own learning through a constructive feedback that precedes the summative assessment [10]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion