Competence Of Postgraduate Students Research Articles

Team based objective formative assessment method for postgraduate students: Evaluation of students’ clinical performance and perceptions

Background- Team Objective Structured Bedside Assessment (TOSBA) is a ward based, directly observed group assessment tool. The present study was undertaken to assess the impact of TOSBA in improving clinical competence of postgraduate students and also to assess student and staff perceptions of this method of formative assessment. Material and Methods- To study the impact of TOSBA, the students were divided into 2 groups. Group A was taken as ‘study group’ and Group B as ‘control group’, both groups comprising of three students each. Consecutive students in each group were given ten minutes for performing one of three different standardized clinical tasks. The students were directly observed performing the tasks and were graded on their performance in each group. Group A students were provided with educational feedback by the examiner at the end of the session, whereas Group B did not receive any feedback, but were shown their grades at the end of each TOSBA session. A pre-test in first session and post –test at the end of total 3 TOSBA sessions, was conducted on both groups. Feedback was taken from both, the students and staff members, regarding their view about this method of assessment in the form of a questionnaire, on various points on a Likert scale. Results and conclusion- The mean score for post-test in the study group was (7.51 ± 0.67) whereas the mean post-test score in the control group, which was not subjected to feedback, was (6. 34 ± 0.12), for which P value of <0.0001 was obtained, which was statistically highly significant. The present study showed that TOSBA, as a formative method of assessment, improves all the three major domains of the learner and reinforces team communication skills.

Information literacy competency of post graduate students at Haryana Agricultural University and impact of instruction initiatives

PurposeSince the education of Master of Science students in the discipline of agriculture is catalectic without libraries, the present paper seeks to assess the information literacy competency (ILC) of post graduate (PG) students at Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India, along with the impact of instruction initiatives in this respect.Design/methodology/approachBased on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology, 2006, an instrument was developed with 79 scoring items in the first part of the questionnaire along with non‐scoring items in the second part. Broad headings of the questions asked are shown in detail. Validity and reliability of the instrument are also reported.FindingsInformation literacy competency of PG students has been found satisfactory along with significant difference between the first and second year students. Results of the paper distinguish between the first and second year students in the light of five information literacy (IL) standards along with other considerations. Various instruction initiatives were found to have a positive impact upon the ILC of PG students.Practical implicationsSince the study has been able to establish a positive relationship between instruction initiatives and ILC, such initiatives may be introduced in other academic institutions.Originality/valueNone of the earlier reported research instruments had used science and engineering/technology IL standards, especially upon PG students in agriculture. This study further paved the way for the development of such an nstrument along with assessing the ILC of PG students and impact of instruction initiatives in an agricultural university.