Future Exams Research Articles

Standard setting OSCE: A comparison of arbitrary and Hofstee methods in a low stake OSCE

Objectives: To compare the cut scores and pass/fail rates achieved by arbitrary 60% method and Hofstee method in an undergraduate year 4 end semester objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and check the possibility of using Hofstee method of standard setting in future exams. Method: 102 medical students of year 4 underwent a 10 station OSCE exam conducted in a state of art simulation lab in 3 cycles. The cut scores were calculated using arbitrary method aiming at 60% of task achievement and by Hofstee method. The student’s obtained scores were compared for cut scores and pass rates for individual stations and the entire exam. Results: The arbitrary and Hofstee methods of standard setting leads to different cut scores. For the individual stations it was 60% vs 65-70% and for the overall score it was 60% vs 70%. The percentage of students failing the exam is 13.7% based on arbitrary scores and is 29.4% when Hofstee cut score is applied. Conclusions: The two methods lead to different cut scores and students’ failure rates. Overall, Hofstee method is more appropriate for assessing competencies in an OSCE exam in medical schools as it leads to calculation of cut scores based on the difficulty level of the station/exam and the examiners expected level of performance by the students. Keywords: Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Standard Setting, Hofstee Method, Arbitrary Method

Validation of a Rubric to Assess Physiology Exam Multiple Choice Questions to Create Fair and Equitable Assessments

Inequities and achievement gaps exist for students from groups underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and for English language learners (ELLs). This is particularly evident with multiple choice assessments which are prevalent in health professions and medical education. Increasing the linguistic accessibility of test items by simplifying the language used while keeping the content diffculty was perceived as helpful to ELLs in an undergraduate Chemistry course (Lee & Orgill, 2022). Following best practices when writing exam questions provides consistent and valid measures of student comprehension. Across institutions we face similar challenges when forming and assessing multiple choice questions for our physiology exams. Some major flaws include long complex options; using vague terms; negatively structured stems; grammatical cues; word repeats. Lopez (2023) found that 56% items contained at least one flaw. The most common flaws identified were those in which the items were not approximately the same length and item options that did not have parallel grammatical form and structure. In order to address these issues in an objective way, we collectively modified the previously detailed rubric (Lopez, 2023) for identifying common flaws based on the “Item-Writing Guide” from the National Board of Medical Education (NBME®) and one formed in the context of general chemistry by Breakall et al. (2019). Twenty-six questions from physiology exams at three different institutions were evaluated by three faculty using the newly created rubric. After analyzing the questions, we returned as a group and compared our individual ratings, clarified any discrepancies and modified the rubric accordingly. We will conduct statistical analysis to assess our inter-rater reliability score before using this rubric to analyze the full question banks for physiology exams at each institution. This process is not limited to physiology educators since it can be utilized by teachers in any program or discipline. The significance of the work will not only benefit our validation of learning but it will also address specific equity issues by eliminating flaws that provide irrelevant diffculty or benefit test wise students. Furthermore, this rubric is also helpful in generating new questions for future exams, ensuring equitable assessments.

ChatGPT Generated Otorhinolaryngology Multiple-Choice Questions: Quality, Psychometric Properties, and Suitability for Assessments.

To explore Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer's (ChatGPT's) capability to create multiple-choice questions about otorhinolaryngology (ORL). Experimental question generation and exam simulation. Tertiary academic center. ChatGPT 3.5 was prompted: "Can you please create a challenging 20-question multiple-choice questionnaire about clinical cases in otolaryngology, offering five answer options?." The generated questionnaire was sent to medical students, residents, and consultants. Questions were investigated regarding quality criteria. Answers were anonymized and the resulting data was analyzed in terms of difficulty and internal consistency. ChatGPT 3.5 generated 20 exam questions of which 1 question was considered off-topic, 3 questions had a false answer, and 3 questions had multiple correct answers. Subspecialty theme repartition was as follows: 5 questions were on otology, 5 about rhinology, and 10 questions addressed head and neck. The qualities of focus and relevance were good while the vignette and distractor qualities were low. The level of difficulty was suitable for undergraduate medical students (n = 24), but too easy for residents (n = 30) or consultants (n = 10) in ORL. Cronbach's α was highest (.69) with 15 selected questions using students' results. ChatGPT 3.5 is able to generate grammatically correct simple ORL multiple choice questions for a medical student level. However, the overall quality of the questions was average, needing thorough review and revision by a medical expert to ensure suitability in future exams.

Perspectives From the RadDiscord Annual Survey: Overview of the Top Study Tools and Evaluation of Study Time and Various Resources

Each year, senior radiology residents take the American Board of Radiology Qualifying (Core) exam to evaluate competency. Approximately 10% of first-time examinees will fail this exam (1). Understanding factors that contribute to success will help residency program directors and trainees prepare for future exams. RadDiscord (www.raddiscord.org), an international radiology educational community, is in the unique position to evaluate different study materials and resources. The goal of this paper is to report the results from the RadDiscord survey and analyze the factors that correlate with higher exam performance and passing. Following the February 2021, June 2021, and June 2022 exams, RadDiscord members were provided an anonymous survey, collecting information on study resources and exam scores. The collected data were analyzed using various statistical methods. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. A total of 318 residents responded (95% passed). Significant variability in Qualifying (Core) exam performance and perceived quality of internal didactics existed between program types. Residents who did less than 2000 practice questions performed lower on the exam. The Diagnostic Radiology In-Training (DXIT) exam was the most predictive for passing and performance. Qualifying (Core) exam performance negatively correlated with study time, though certain residents did receive some benefit from study time. Many factors correlate with passing and Qualifying (Core) exam performance. Residency programs with fewer resources should consider alternative ways to support residents beyond offering study time. Residents who complete at least 2000 practice questions are more likely to pass and DXIT results can be a useful gauge to identify exam readiness.

Predicting Student Performance in Future Exams via Neutrosophic Cognitive Diagnosis in Personalized E-Learning Environment

To provide intelligent learning guidance for students in e-learning systems, it is necessary to accurately predict their performance in future exams by analyzing score data in past exams. However, existing research has not addressed the uncertain and dynamic features of students' cognitive status, whereas these features are essential for improving the accuracy of performance prediction. A novel approach via neutrosophic cognitive diagnosis is proposed to predict student performance in a personalized e-learning environment. This approach innovatively employs the neutrosophic set (NS) theory to comprehensively measure the students' cognitive status on knowledge concepts from three features, i.e., understanding level, degree of misunderstanding, and uncertainty. A new measurement method of NS similarity is used to identify top- <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">k</i> neighboring students for one student. Then, we predict a student's performance on exercises in future exams by integrating a neighborhood-based collaborative filtering algorithm with a probabilistic matrix factorization method to address the data sparsity problem. Finally, the experiments based on real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach provides higher prediction accuracy than the existing ones with a low execution cost.

Analysis of Secondary Physical Education Teacher Recruitment Examination: Focused on Sport Biomechanics Questions from 2016 through 2022

PURPOSE This study aimed to analyze the sport biomechanics questions in the ‘Secondary Physical Education Teacher Recruitment 1st Exams’ and find the orientation for future exams. METHODS Twenty-one sports biomechanics questions (49 detailed questions) in the last 7 years (2016-2022) were classified into four types (evaluation content factors, classification of educational goal, sports application or not, classroom connection, and including calculation) and analyzed. RESULTS The recruitment exams had the following characteristics. First, only approximately 22.4% of the questions were related to the secondary physical educational field. Second, only 34% were sports-applied questions. In addition, according to Bloom's classification of educational evaluation, 36.7% of knowledge-level questions, 40.8% comprehension-level questions, and 22.4% application-level questions were accounted for. Finally, the questions tended to be considerably biased towards specific items (kinetics and kinematics understanding and application of linear and angular motion). CONCLUSIONS Sport biomechanics questions in the ‘Secondary Physical Education Teacher Recruitment 1st Exams’ should be based on questions that are likely to occur in the field of secondary physical education, to occur in real sports situations, and to be asked by students. Additionally, rather than asking for simple knowledge or comprehension, the proportion of questions in the application level should be increased.

Deep Neural Network-Based Prediction and Early Warning of Student Grades and Recommendations for Similar Learning Approaches

Studies reported that if teachers can accurately predict students’ follow-up learning effects via data mining and other means, as per their current performances, and explore the difficulty level of students’ mastery of future-related courses in advance, it will help improve students’ scores in future exams. Although educational data mining and learning analytics have experienced an increase in exploration and use, they are still difficult to precisely define. The usage of deep learning methods to predict academic performances and recommend optimal learning methods has not received considerable attention from researchers. This study aims to predict unknown course grades based on students’ previous learning situations and use clustering algorithms to identify similar learning situations, thereby improving students’ academic performance. In this study, the methods of linear regression, random forest, back-propagation neural network, and deep neural network are compared; the prediction and early warning of students’ academic performances based on deep neural network are proposed, in addition to the improved K-nearest neighbor clustering based on association rules (Pearson correlation coefficient). The algorithm performs a similar category clustering for early-warning students. Using the mean square error, standard deviation, mean absolute percentage error, and prediction of ups-and-downs accuracy as evaluation indicators, the proposed method achieves a steady improvement of 20% in the prediction of ups-and-downs accuracy, and demonstrates improved prediction results when compared under similar conditions.

The Pedagogic and Professional Competencies of Arabic Language Teachers in The Public Islamic High School (MAN 1) Mojokerto

Purpose - This research aims to explain the pedagogic competence of arabic teachers in the learning process and pedagogic competencies of Arabic teachers in learning evaluation. The objects in this study were all Arabic teachers at MAN 1 Mojokerto consists of 4 teachers.&#x0D; Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative approach with observation, interviews, documentation as complementary data.&#x0D; Findings - The research results obtained by researchers include, Most Arabic teachers make lesson plans globally for one year. They use learning methods according to the circumstances and abilities of students to achieve learning objectives; their classroom management abilities are related to the methods used. They do not use learning media due to the limitations of the school's media and the teacher's lack of ability to apply the latest media. Most of the Arabic teachers in Learning Evaluation use the test results as a tool to improve future exams and for selecting students until they can follow certain competencies&#x0D; Originality/value - The competence of Arabic language teachers, which is sometimes questioned, is not a problem in this study. This is because the teachers who teach Arabic at the research sites are state teachers, perhaps it is necessary to follow up more deeply on the competence of Arabic teachers in private schools.&#x0D; Paper type – Research paper

Learning from the Past: A Five‐Year Analysis of the Exam Preparations of Students Repeating an Integrated Medical Anatomy Course

INTRODUCTIONDue to the rigor and pace of undergraduate medical anatomy courses, it’s not uncommon for medical students to struggle and fail initially. However, repetition of failed coursework places an additional burden on the time, energy, and resources on both the student and the institution. The purpose of this study was to compare the exam preparation strategies of repeating and non‐repeating students to identify areas where struggling students can be supported prior to course failure.METHODSAs part of their integrated anatomy course, first‐year medical students at Indiana University completed a metacognitive Practice‐Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI) assignment prior to and after their first exam. In the pre‐exam PBLI, students were asked to reflect on their grasp of the material, study strategies and resources, confidence, and predicted exam score. The post‐exam PBLI asked students to reflect on their exam satisfaction, study strategies, resources, and plans for future exams. PBLIs and course grades from repeater and non‐repeater students between 2016 to 2020 were compared using the Mann‐Whitney U test. PBLIs and grades from the repeaters’ first and second attempts were compared using Wilcoxon Ranked Signed test and Spearman’s correlation. Open‐ended responses from repeater PBLIs were thematically analyzed using inductive coding.RESULTSA total of 1803 medical students were included in this study. Non‐repeaters (n=1752) exhibited significant positive correlations between their actual and expected exam scores, confidence, and satisfaction (p&lt;0.001). Conversely, repeaters (n=51) did not show any significant correlations between these factors in their first attempt (p&gt;0.05). However, in their second attempt, expected score positively correlated with confidence (r=0.34, p=0.003). The repeaters also significantly increased their actual exam score, confidence, and satisfaction between their first and second attempts (p&lt;0.001). When compared to non‐repeaters, repeaters’ first and second attempts had significantly lower actual exam scores and exam confidence (p&lt;0.05) but did not significantly differ in their expected exam score. Several specific themes were also identified. For example, repeaters relied consistently on lectures to determine their learning needs and noted poor time management to be a major flaw in their exam preparations. On their second attempt, however, many repeaters felt more confident in their study strategies and opted not to modify them further.CONCLUSIONUnlike their non‐repeater counterparts, medical students who failed and repeated coursework demonstrated a disconnect between their actual and expected exam performances, confidence, and satisfaction. This suggests repeaters may lack metacognitive awareness of their own exam preparedness when compared to non‐repeaters.SIGNIFICANCEThese insights into repeater and non‐repeater exam preparation practices can help anatomy educators better support struggling students before they fail a course. These students may benefit from more opportunities to self‐assess their progress and improve their metacognitive awareness.

Self-reported Learning and Study Strategies in First and Second Year Medical Students.

Medical school presents a unique challenge to the average learner as the instructional strategies used in medical curricula are often different than what the student has experienced prior. The large volume of information taught in medical school is delivered with a variety of techniques. After the educational material has been delivered, it is the student's responsibility to study and learn the information for future exams and for their future patients. The current study aims to explore what learning activities and teaching strategies first (M1) and second year (M2) medical students use and prefer. Additionally, the study aims to determine if there are cohort differences in classroom and study habits. A group of 95 M1 students and 109 M2 students were recruited to participate in this online survey study. The analyses indicated statistical differences between M1 and M2 student cohorts with M1 students preferring group work and small group discussions more than M2 students. Classic didactic lecturing was preferred by 71.6% of students surveyed. M1 students reported a greater tendency for self-testing and group study versus M2 students. GPA and study technique preference were not correlated. These findings indicate that medical students are not using research-based learning and study strategies at the possible detriment of long-term knowledge retention. Modeling of research-based learning and study strategies by medical educators is one possible solution to encourage medical students to change their study practice. Future work should focus on how medical student learning preferences change as they progress through medical school.

Ventilation conditions and their influence on thermal comfort in examination classrooms in times of COVID-19. A case study in a Spanish area with Mediterranean climate.

Current evidence and recent publications have led to the recognition that aerosol-borne transmission of COVID-19 is possible in indoor areas such as educational centers. A crucial measure to reduce the risk of infection in high occupancy indoors is ventilation. In this global pandemic context of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, a study has been carried out with the main objective of analyzing the effects of natural ventilation conditions through windows on indoor air quality and thermal comfort during on-site examinations in higher education centers during the winter season, as this implies situations of unusual occupation and the impossibility in many cases of taking breaks or leaving classrooms, as well as the existence of unfavorable outdoor weather conditions in terms of low temperatures. For this purpose, in situ measurements of the environmental variables were taken during different evaluation tests. As the main results of the study, ventilation conditions were generally adequate in all the tests carried out, regardless of the ventilation strategy used, with average CO2 concentration levels of between 450 and 670 ppm. The maximum CO2 concentration value recorded in one of the tests was 808 ppm. On this basis, the limit for category IDA 2 buildings, corresponding to educational establishments, was not exceeded in any case. However, these measures affected the thermal comfort of the occupants, especially when the outside temperature was below 6 °C, with a dissatisfaction rate of between 25 and 72%. Examinations carried out with outside temperatures above 12 °C were conducted in acceptable comfort conditions regardless of outside air supply and classroom occupancy. In these cases, the dissatisfaction rate was less than 10%. The results obtained have made it possible to establish strategies for ventilation in the implementation of future exams, depending on the climatic conditions outside.

Perception of Students and Examiners about Objective Structured Clinical Examination in a Teaching Hospital in Ethiopia.

IntroductionThe objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has become a standard assessment tool in undergraduate medical school training. It is considered an objective assessment of practical skill of students. OSCE is a resource demanding assessment method that can have numerous challenges. Comprehensive assessment of perception regarding OSCE can help identify areas that need improvement. The aim of this study was to assess the perception of students and examiners towards OSCE.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on students and examiners undertaking OSCE from May 1 to July 30, 2021, using a structured questionnaire. Comparison of variables was done using Mann–Whitney U-Test and Chi-square test. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 141 students and 39 examiners participated in the study. The majority of the students and examiners had a positive response regarding the attributes, structure, organization and validity of OSCE. It was recommended to be used in future exams compared to other assessments by 38.3% of students and 51.3% of examiners. There were certain challenges reported by students and included stressfulness of the exam (51.1%), inadequate time (27.6%), and unsatisfactory orientation (30.5%). One-third of examiners considered it stressful, while 20.5% considered the time provided to be inadequate. Equipment to conduct the exam was considered inadequate by 39.1% and 56.4% of students and examiners, respectively. Around 80.1% of students recommended mock sessions and 23.1% of examiners did not have any prior training on OSCE.ConclusionAn overall positive perception of OSCE by students and examiners was seen. Certain challenges that need improvements were identified. Continuing evaluation and refinement of OSCE by departments is needed. We recommend further wide-scale national evaluation of the OSCE examination system of medical students.

S1306 Virtual Pivot: Gastroenterology Fellows’ Perception of a Teleconferencing Platform to Conduct Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Introduction: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been shown to not only assess but also improve the performance of trainees. Our group has previously demonstrated the benefits of OSCEs to assess gastroenterology (GI) fellows. We have successfully assessed performance across numerous milestones. Typically, OSCEs are held in person, however the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated the need for virtual learning. We accordingly transitioned to a virtual zoom OSCE (Z-OSCE) and evaluated trainees’ perception of this program. Methods: Fourteen first- and second-year GI fellows from five programs across multiple states participated in a four-station virtual OSCE on Zoom. Afterwards, participants answered a survey to share their perspectives and provide feedback. Learners were asked to rate the usefulness of the virtual OSCE and compare it to other in-person and virtual educational modalities. These questions were rated on a 10-point Likert scale (Figure 1). Additionally, free-text responses regarding any aspect of the OSCE were evaluated for comments on the virtual format. Results: In comparing the usefulness of the virtual OSCE to other in-person modalities, trainees rated it a mean of 7.15 (range 5-10), and 31% of respondents rated it a 9 or 10. Trainees rated the virtual OSCE compared to other virtual learning modalities a mean of 8.15 (range 5-10), and 43% rated it 9 or 10. When asked whether they would recommend this OSCE as a training tool, the trainees gave a mean recommendation of 7.77 (range 5-10), and 38% gave a 9 or 10. General feedback regarding the nature of the OSCE noted the virtual format worked well, orientation to the format was important and could be improved by providing it in an email beforehand. Conclusion: Virtual learning has been necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is crucial to evaluate the value of the novel Z-OSCE. Participants found the virtual OSCE may be more useful than in-person learning modalities and it compared favorably to other virtual learning modalities. One benefit of this modality was the easier inclusion of fellows from geographically disparate areas negating the need to travel for this program, a benefit given lack of universal access to simulation using standardized patients. To improve future exams, orientation prior to the day of the OSCE may improve trainees’ experiences.Figure 1.: Ten-point Likert scale evaluating learner feedback on the virtual OSCE.

Impact of online group studying for the MRCPsych A exam amongst international doctors logging-in from 7 countries

AimsRecently, global-remote group studying has been made possible via digital video conferencing platforms. In preparation for the December 2020 MRCPsych part A exam, a study group was formed comprising 30 International Medical Gaduates (IMG) logging-in from different countries via 3 hour Zoom-study sessions hosted daily from 28th September until 12th December 2020 (1800-2100 GMT time). This study demonstrates the impact of online group study in preparation for the MRCPsych A exam for s via data collected through questionnaires.MethodThe data of the study were collected through the questionnaires given to the group study members containing a total of 17 questions, 5 of which were open-ended.The participants totalled 30 International Doctors who responded to an advertisement to form an online study group on Facebook. They logged-in for the sessions from seven different countries: Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Ireland, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. The participants represented different working grades incuding experiences in psychiatry ranging from 0 to 5 years.Data were analysed using percentage. The answers given to the open-ended questions were each examined using descriptive interpretation methods.ResultThematic analysis demonstrated that online group study made learning faster and easier. 96.6% support using online study sessions for future exams citing that they fostered cooperation, respect for diverse opinions and motivation for regular studying. 93.1% and partly 6.9% found the experience enjoyable and enabled the cultivation of different ideas. Indeed, 89.7% relied on it as a big part of their preparation with 26 saying it contributed to their passing of the exam success.Almost three quarter of participants in the group also forged friendships and a sense of trust. It also became a platform for expressing opinions comfortably and developing communication and interpersonal skills.Different working hours and time zones represented a challenge with most linking in at odd hours. Cultural differences were ultimately accepted including aspects of delivery of information which made a few participants appear abrupt.ConclusionWith the ease in which social media connects us on a global scale, online study groups connecting IMGs from various backgrounds and diverse cultures not only makes exam preparations stimulating and easier to pass but also fosters interpersonal skills and connections that would be an asset in the long run.

The hidden reasons of the Vietnamese parents for paying private tuition fees for public school teachers

Abstract This article investigates the Vietnamese parents’ hidden reasons for paying private tutoring fees for public school teachers. The authors conducted qualitative research on seventy-two parents of grade 1 to 12 tutees in three urban and three rural areas in Vietnam. The findings show that: First, the participants are willing to pay private tuition fees for public school teachers because they strongly trust in public school teaching quality, teacher reputations, school locations, and the importance of tutoring subjects for their children. Next, parents believe that private tutoring taught by public school teachers would be advantageous for their children’s future exams because these teachers could be able to deliver the examinable knowledge in advance for their children and consider private tutoring fees as safety net fees for their children. Finally, parents perceive the inflation of private tuition fee rates of public school teachers as the fees are the main source of public school teachers’ incomes because these are always higher than public school fees many times; therefore public school teachers have strong motivations to continue providing private tutoring services for charging high fee rates and ignoring its regulations. Three important issues of the hidden reasons are critically discussed, including (i) strong parental trusts for the public schooling system; (ii) private tutoring fees are easily switched to hidden briberies in education; and (iii) undeniable parental evidence of private tutoring fees as the main source of incomes of public school teachers. The research limitation in the study is also mentioned.

Gymnasieelevers anteckningspraktiker

Studies have shown that lecture note-taking is very effective for students’ learning. Research on Swedish pupils, however, is scant. The aim of the present study was to explore note-taking practices in Swedish upper secondary school and examine whether the school supports students in their practice. A survey with both closed-ended and open-ended questions was administered to 120 pupils from two schools in Västra Götaland County. Most pupils reported taking notes during lectures and doing so for mainly two reasons: to learn the material and to study the notes for future exams. However, only 15 % of participants had received guidance on how to take notes during their school years. A metacognitive framework is applied in interpreting the results. Whether a note-taking practice can be considered metacognitive depends on the underlying motives for choosing that strategy. A well-chosen strategy seems dependent on contextual and individual circumstances. It is suggested that pupils be taught both the advantages and the disadvantages of different note-taking practices, so that they can evaluate different strategies for themselves.

‘Remediation of pre-clerkship clinical skill performance using a hybrid coaching model’

ABSTRACT Substance We reviewed the effect of a hybrid remediation model combining co-regulated learning and deliberate practice on future exam performance of pre-clerkship medical students who had been unsuccessful on a previous clinic skills exam. With this remediation model, we aimed to strengthen students’ self-regulated learning to improve future exam performance and support sustained and improved learning. Educational problem addressed: Observing that some students who initially performed well post remediation with deliberate practice, still struggled on future exams, we looked to address a method that could improve both short-and long-term clinical skills learning success with sustained performance. Intervention outcome: Comparing the remediated students’ exam scores pre- and post-coaching to their cohort’s performance, we observed the majority of students post remediation performed above their cohort’s exam average. Lessons learned: Combining learning models resulted in improved learning outcomes.

Unfolding the Drivers of Student Success in Answering Multiple-Choice Questions About Microsoft Excel

Many university programs include Microsoft Excel courses given their value as a scientific and technical tool. However, evaluating what is effectively learned by students is a challenging task. Considering multiple-choice written exams are a standard evaluation format, this study aimed to uncover the features influencing students’ success in answering these types of questions. The empirical experiments were based on Excel evaluation exams containing questions answered by 526 students between 2012 and 2016, with a total of 3,340 answers characterized by 17 features. Through data mining, a neural network was developed that accurately modeled students’ choices. A sensitivity analysis was applied to the model to assess the most relevant features. Findings identified four highly relevant features for students’ success: number of words of the question, topic, difficulty degree, and number of similar choices. This study helps to guide the design of future exams by quantifying the individual influence of each feature.

Mastery-Based Testing in Calculus with a Final Exam Component

I describe the motivation, structure, implementation, and student feedback of my mastery-based testing (MBT) system with a significant final exam component in Calculus I and II since 2016. Grades for each written assignment, quiz, and exam question were assigned on a Mastery/Progressing/Needs Improvement (M/P/NI) scale. Homework and quizzes could be reattempted outside of class, and exam topics could be reattempted on future exams, including the final exam. Course grades were determined by the number of M and P grades students achieved in each of the five components WebAssign, Written Assignments, Quizzes, All Exams, and Final Exam by the end of the semester. My MBT system differs from most in that student performance on the final exam countes toward both the All Exams and Final Exam components. Nearly all student performance on the final exam improved or maintained, rather than lowered, their course grades, suggesting cumulative comprehension with the material. Student feedback was consistently more positive than negative in both courses.

Implementation of imaging training and onset review for registrars

Keywords - CBCT, Registrar, Training Introduction: Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) is the use of imaging during radiotherapy to improve the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery. At Leeds, we have Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) on our linacs and use this type of imaging for the majority of patients. Clinical Oncology trainees often have little experience in IGRT[1-3] and decisions are made by trained radiographers, or escalated to consultants. Our plan was to train registrars to make these decisions, speeding up the decision making pathway. Methods and Materials: The training team consisted of a clinical oncology consultant, clinical oncology registrars and trained imaging radiographers. An in-house training day consisted of lectures and interactive case-based discussions, using CBCT images by imaging trained radiographers and consultants in their specialist areas. Live demos on how to use the software and 1-1 shadowing sessions ended the day. A questionnaire was completed before and after the training to assess understanding of the material. A post training audit was also carried out to measure registrar confidence in making clinical imaging decisions and overall involvement in onset image review. Results: Feedback from the trainees was very good, scoring an ‘excellent’ for the Introduction to IGRT, pelvis and gynaecological lecture, and the lung, gastrointestinal and head and neck talks by 64%, 90% and 100% respectively. The questionnaire at the end of the training day showed a good understanding of the material. Prior to the training day, only consultants were contacted concerning onset imaging problems. Our audit showed a 30% registrar contact rate by radiographers after training, with a 100% response rate from registrars. Conclusion and Discussion: Feedback showed that the training day was a success and increased the number of doctors that radiographers can contact when needed, speeding up decision making and improving patient care. Registrars feel more confident in radiotherapy imaging, and this will aid them in future exams and increase their knowledge base post registration. Areas for improvement include changing the culture of radiographers contacting consultants in the first instance and increasing the registrar attendance for the training day. Numerical