Practical Exam Research Articles

Design of Online Exam Applications during the National Preparation Pandemic

This research is carried out to analyze and design a website which is a technology that is very influential on education science during the current pandemic is needed a technology that can support the course of learning and exams. One of them is about the technology of Exam Preparation Application using Web-based Random Methods at SMA Negeri 1 Pantai Cermin. The exam itself is an activity that is carried out routinely to measure the achievement of student competencies after completing one or more basic competencies. The research method used consists of several stages of research, namely data collection, system analysis and software design. The data collection method used is observation and literature study. The method of analysis and design of the system used is Rapid Application Development (RAD) using Unified Modeling Language (UML) and user interface design system design. Applications are created on two sides, namely admin applications and user applications. The programming language used for software development is PHP and for servers using MySQL as a database. The result of this study is an application based on an online exam website for national exam preparation and using random methods that can later be used by teachers and students. The application of this application can provide convenience for teachers and students in the process of working on exam practice questions in a computerized manner and can immediately see the results of the exam quickly. Keywords: Online Exam Application, Website, UML, RAD, PHP .

Which Performs Better: Open Book Versus Closed Book Online Gross Anatomy Practical Examination

The COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in rapid changes to delivery of medical school exams during the height of the pandemic. Remote, online exams quickly became the norm, with many schools initially allowing open book (OB) exams due to a lack of policies and resources to monitor for cheating and as a means of reducing student anxiety that was heightened by the uncertainty of the pandemic and its effect on their education. A 2016 review by Durning, et al. concluded that there was no significant difference in exam performance between OB and closed book (CB) exams; however, a recent study found significantly higher scores on an OB exam, compared to a CB exam (Eurboonyanun, et al., 2021).At Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), gross anatomy practical examinations are taken using cadavers and are CB. As a result of the pandemic, the Class of 2023 was administered the Skin and Musculoskeletal (SMS) midcourse and final practical examinations as remote, online OB exams. The next year, the Class of 2024 took the same exams remotely online, as CB exams. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of OB exam conditions on students' online practical exam performance. We hypothesized that the Class of 2023’s mean score on both exams would be significantly higher than the Class of 2024.We compared the Class of 2023’s (n = 111) remote, online OB mean scores for the midcourse and final gross anatomy practical summative exams to the Class of 2024’s (n = 110) remote, online CB exam scores for the same practical exams. The SMS course is the last course for 1st year medical students at CMSRU. For both classes, the midcourse and final practical exam questions were delivered remotely online using cadaveric atlas images. Questions were open‐ended and consisted of a mixture of 1st, 2nd and 3rd order questions. The number of questions on the midcourse and final practical exams for both classes were equivalent. A one‐tailed, non‐paired t‐test was used to compare mean class performance on both the midcourse and final practical exams.The Class of 2023 had a significantly higher summative mean score on the midcourse practical exam, compared to the Class of 2024 (96.91 v 90.24, p<0.000). The summative mean score for the final practical exam was significantly higher for the Class of 2023 compared to the Class of 2024 (93.21 v 89.26, p<0.000).First year medical students who took remote online OB midcourse and final practical exams in the SMS course outperformed 1st year medical students who took equivalent exams that were CB.The COVID‐19 pandemic has opened a window for educators to give greater consideration to and allow for exploration of the use of OB exams in anatomy, regardless of whether exams are delivered online or in‐person. In a world where knowledge is available instantaneously with just a few strokes of a keypad, why is it we still expect students to commit detailed anatomical knowledge to memory for testing? As practicing clinicians, they will have access to resources to help them answer questions they are unsure about. Why not afford students the same opportunity when taking an exam? The time has come to determine the feasibility of OB exams in anatomical sciences education and determine how best they can be used to enhance the learning and long‐term retention of anatomical knowledge.

Development and Implementation of an Online OSPE Test Bank Graded by Artificial Intelligence

The development of online anatomy education has rapidly accelerated during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This shift to the online world has mainly been focused on the delivery of content, while testing anatomical knowledge has proven to be more challenging, particularly for objective structured practical exams (OSPEs, also known as “spot tests” or “practical exams”). Online resources for OSPEs are uncommon compared to the extensive banks of multiple‐choice questions available. Another issue is that whether virtual or in‐person, grading OSPEs is challenging and time consuming. Recent research in our laboratory has suggested that machine learning algorithms, using decision trees, can be trained to mark OSPEs with a >95% accuracy. Building on these findings, the goal of this project is to create a virtual OSPE bank, train the AI to grade OSPEs, and develop an application with automated AI grading to act as a resource for students studying anatomy and physiology. Currently, we have written over 120 OSPE question sets using images from the Bassett Collection, the UBC Neuroanatomy collection, and images developed at the Education Program in Anatomy at McMaster University. The questions and answers were initially developed by senior undergraduate students, with coaching from faculty and staff familiar with OSPE generation acting as experts. The questions were then collectively reviewed by the students before undergoing two independent reviews by the experts. After revision, a final blind review of the questions was undertaken by a third expert to ensure validity and accuracy. These questions are being made available on the undergraduate anatomy and physiology course learning management system (LMS), Avenue to Learn. On this LMS, students will be able to use the questions for OSPE practice and answers will be available in the traditional manner. The answers given by the students and graded by the faculty will be collected and analyzed to determine the difficulty and discrimination of the questions. The data and analyses will be used to refine additional OSPEs, as well as refine the AI marking tool for the virtual OSPE application. Our hypothesis is that by providing instant and accurate feedback on valid and accurate questions, course evaluations and performance on OSPEs will improve. The research group is actively searching for collaborators willing to generate and review additional OSPE questions to expand the question bank and improve the AI marking tool.

Foundational Anatomy Knowledge Correlates with Success in Medical Anatomy

IntroductionDespite being a foundational course in medical education, coursework in the anatomical sciences is not a pre‐requisite for admission at most medical schools. This results in students possessing various levels of anatomy knowledge upon matriculation. In previous work, the authors found a significant positive correlation between incoming anatomy knowledge and performance in professional allied health anatomy coursework. Therefore, the goal of this study was to extend the previous work to determine if prior anatomy knowledge among first year medical (MD) students correlated with performance in a medical anatomy course.MethodsIn an IRB‐approved study, first year MD students (n=378) enrolled in an integrated anatomy (gross anatomy, histology, and embryology) course in their first semester at Indiana University School of Medicine were administered a no‐stakes 20‐question pre‐quiz at the start of the course. The pre‐quiz covered basic gross anatomical concepts instructors expected students to know prior to starting the course. The course was broken into three blocks, each with an exam that included three components: a written exam, gross practical exam, and histology practical exam. Kendall’s tau correlation analyses compared pre‐quiz scores with each individual exam component, total block exams (all three components combined), a cumulative anatomy‐based NBME, and total course scores.ResultsPre‐quiz scores positively and significantly correlated with overall total course scores (<0.001). When the assessments were broken down further, pre‐quiz scores significantly and positively correlated with all three total block exam scores (p<0.01 for all). Positive and significant correlations were also found between pre‐quiz scores and all three written exam scores (p<0.010 for all), gross practical scores 1 and 3 (p<0.001 for both), and histology practical scores 2 and 3 (p<0.05 for both). Finally, positive and significant correlations were found between pre‐quiz performance and NBME anatomy scores (p<0.001).ConclusionThis study found that MD students’ performance on a quiz testing incoming gross anatomy knowledge positively and significantly correlated with performance in an integrated medical gross anatomy course throughout the duration, expanding on previous work conducted in allied health professional student populations. This work provides further evidence that anatomy knowledge obtained prior to medical school (e.g. undergraduate coursework) may directly impact student performance in professional anatomy coursework. Future directions include analysis of anatomy experience among matriculating MD students and possible interventions for students identified as having a weak knowledge foundation.SignificanceThese data identify a correlation between students’ incoming anatomy knowledge and performance in a medical integrated anatomy course. Considerations should be made when advising students who are applying to medical programs, including encouragement to complete undergraduate courses in the anatomical sciences. In addition, such assessments of incoming anatomy knowledge could allow instructors to identify students with a weak foundational anatomy knowledge early on, permitting intervention prior to possible remediation.

A Degree Program in Modern Anatomical Sciences Aimed at Improving Matriculation and Retention Rates for Underrepresented Students in Medicine

BackgroundThe American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that 28% of all medical school applicants for the 2018‐2019 application cycle indicated their ethnicity as different from Caucasian or Asian. Of those accepted, approximately 23% reported their ethnicity as different from Caucasian or Asian.1 Even as these numbers represent increases in total numbers of underrepresented students matriculating to medical school, they are still underrepresented as a proportion of the US population.2, 3 In 2019, a one‐year master’s degree program in Modern Anatomical Sciences (MAS) was refocused as a pathway for increasing the number of students underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) at our institution. The pathway was first implemented in the 2020 – 2021 academic year.Questions/Purposes/Hypotheses Can a master’s degree program focused on anatomical sciences increase the number of URiM students that matriculate to an affiliated medical school? Can a strategically designed master’s degree program increase the number of URiM students that successfully complete the first year of medical school? MethodsA one‐year master’s degree program that accepts no more than 16 applicants annually. Coursework includes: 21.0 credit hours of basic science content taken jointly with first‐year medical students. 6.0 credit hours and up to 40 clinical hours observing biomedical imaging. 4.0 credit hours devoted to the design, implementation, and communication of results of a scholarly project. ResultsTo date, 28 students have been admitted to the pathway program. All 12 URiM graduates of the 2020 ‐ 2021 academic year matriculated to the current first‐year medical school class. These students represent 7.5% of the class and markedly boost the historical diversity representation at the school (14% URiM over past four years). MAS pathway students consistently perform as well, or better, in coursework taken jointly with first‐year medical students. For example, among first‐year medical students taking the first gross anatomy practical exam, MAS students were 22 times more likely to score above 90% compared to a traditional first‐year medical student. Finally, of the 18 students awarded MAS degrees in 2020 and 2021, 83% have matriculated to our medical school, and cumulatively 94% have matriculated to allied health schools in Ohio.ConclusionsSince its inception in 2019, the one‐year master’s degree program in Modern Anatomical Sciences has proven effective in increasing the number of underrepresented in medicine students at our medical school. The curriculum design successfully prepares students for the rigor of the pre‐clerkship curriculum at our institution. Taking basic science courses alongside medical students builds confidence and prepares students to be class leaders in their first year of medical school. The small class size provides students greater opportunities to interface with medical school faculty and clinicians, as well as develop positive, affirming relationships with their classmates. These connections are likely to benefit the students throughout their medical school careers.References AAMC. Diversity in Medicine: Facts and Figures 2019, Washington, DC: AAMC; 2019 AAMC. Altering the Course: Black Males in Medicine. Washington, DC: AAMC; 2015 Lett LA, Murdock HM, Orji WU, Aysola J, Sebro R. Trends in Racial/Ethnic Representation Among US Medical Students. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(9):e1910490. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10490

Effect of Live Dissection Versus Virtual Anatomy Lab on Student Learning in a Neuroanatomy Course

With the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic safety measures such as social distancing was implemented to protect against transmission of the virus. Student cadaveric dissection as part of a medical gross anatomy curriculum was one of the in‐person experiences that Rocky Vista University moved to a virtual lab format in response. Live streamed prosection demonstrations over the Zoom platform allowed students to view relevant anatomy, ask for additional views, and have questions answered. Anatomy lab evaluations were also virtual through the ExamSoft platform consisting of static pictures of dissected cadavers. We looked at student performance in the Neurosensory I System, which covers the anatomy of the head, neck, and central nervous system. We saw a significant decrease in student performance on anatomy practical exams after learning via the virtual format, even after assessment changes to match were made. These results support previous research demonstrating the value of cadaveric dissection or prosection style gross anatomy labs. While a virtual lab was acceptable during a public health emergency, it is not ideal for proper education in the structure and function of the human body.

Physical Therapy Student Knowledge Retention from a Remotely Taught Anatomy Course

IntroductionA whole‐body donor anatomy course is a foundational learning experience for additional musculoskeletal courses for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. The summer 2020 human anatomy course at the University of Missouri was taught remotely with daily asynchronous and synchronous components. The DPT students were evaluated with online multiple‐choice lecture and picture‐based lab practical exams. Due to the novel nature of the course, student knowledge retention and interpretation of three‐dimensional anatomy is unknown.AimThe purpose of this study was to evaluate student retention of anatomy knowledge from the remotely taught course, test if students can identify structures on anatomical donors in a laboratory setting that they previously identified on picture online exams and survey the students’ prior anatomy experiences.MethodsA 90‐minute in‐person laboratory session was held seven months after the completion of the remote anatomy course for first year DPT students. Students’ previous anatomical course work and opinions of remote and lab learning were assessed with a survey. Prior to entering the anatomy lab, the students completed a multiple‐choice retention quiz of eight questions from the four‐unit exams that all students previously answered correctly. During the laboratory session, students worked in pairs to answer fifteen questions and identify some of the same structures from the retention quiz on the donors.ResultsEvery student had taken at least one undergraduate course as a requirement for DPT school admission or as part of their major. All the students described benefits to a lab‐based anatomy course compared to a remote course and a majority emphasized the hands‐on and spatial learning in their comments. Most students (73.7%) also believed there were some advantages from the remote course, including having additional study time, cost savings, and more individualized learning. Fifty‐nine of the 60 students in the remote anatomy course took the retention quiz and the average score was 86.7% (range 62.5% ‐ 100%). Students performed well on the musculoskeletal questions on the lab identification quiz.ConclusionThe physical therapy students from this remote anatomy course had slightly higher retention scores than most studies of health professions students’, particularly in topics that were repeated throughout their first‐year courses.SignificanceThe study supports the importance of whole‐body donor anatomy lab learning for students and the importance of flexibility, and ample inclusive access to learning materials for students.

Transitioning from In Person to Online Human Anatomy: Student Perspectives from the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Introduction & ObjectiveIn March 2020, medical schools around the country had to quickly transition from in person cadaveric anatomy curricula to an online distance learning format due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This posed a challenge for students who had acclimated to learning anatomy inside the laboratory for the majority of their first year of medical school. The purpose of this study was to assess student perceptions of the abrupt transition from in person anatomy dissections and practical exams to an exclusively online format.Materials and MethodsAn anonymous survey was distributed to medical students from the Class of 2023 at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University (n=191) in February 2021. The survey assessed student perceptions of the impact of COVID‐19 shutdowns on their medical education. In total, 45 responses were recorded, and survey data was analyzed using SPSS software. Nonparametric methods were used due to the ordinal nature of the Likert scale responses. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed. In addition, focus groups were conducted with 11 medical students who had completed the survey.ResultsA majority of respondents (82.55%) stated that their learning and understanding of anatomy was worse after cancellation of in person anatomy lab dissections. In contrast, understanding of didactic lecture material was split, with 37.5% stating that online lectures had no impact on their learning and understanding of the material, 31.25% stating understanding was worse, and 25% stating it was better following transition to online‐only lectures. The results from the Wilcoxon signed rank test of Likert scale responses indicated that students perceived impact of cancelling in person anatomy lab as significantly worse compared to the impact of cancelling in person lectures (p<0.001). Focus group responses echoed this theme, with the loss of 3‐dimensional visual and tactile learning in laboratory cited most frequently by participants as a challenge with the transition to online anatomy.ConclusionMedical student respondents in the class of 2023 perceived online anatomy as inferior to in person laboratory sessions after the COVID‐19 shut‐down in March 2020. The transition from in person to online anatomy was more impactful on student understanding of material than the transition from in person to online didactic lectures. Of note, the students surveyed had completed the majority of their anatomy curriculum in person prior to the transition online.Significance/ImplicationThe medical school shutdowns that occurred in March 2020 due to the COVID‐19 pandemic highlighted the importance of in person interaction with cadaveric specimens in anatomy education, especially in the context of how students were initially exposed to content. When possible, consideration should be given to learning approaches that students are familiar with and how changes to the curriculum will impact them.

Assessment of the Impact of Student Role on Performance during Reciprocal Peer Teaching in Human Gross Anatomy, Who Benefits?

Reciprocal peer teaching is a prominent pedagogical approach utilized across medical education to counteract reduction in gross anatomy contact hours. Traditionally, the roles of peer teacher and peer learner are alternated among students within a dissection group. This instance of reciprocal peer teaching was examined during Covid protocol, which prompted a third role, non‐participants. Non‐participants were students not present during peer teaching sessions due to enforced limitations on the number of students present at a table at a given time for social distancing. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of student role (teacher, learner, or non‐participant) during reciprocal peer teaching on performance of 1st year medical students (n=34). The context of the study was a 10 week Human Gross Anatomy course taken first in the 1st year medical student curriculum. Twenty‐two peer teaching sessions were video recorded across the 4 blocks of anatomical content which resulted in (n=131) instances of reciprocal peer teaching. Peer teaching videos were cross‐referenced to track student role during a given session and whether or not an anatomical structure was taught or not by cross‐referencing the associated dissection structure list. Medical students throughout the course took 4 block laboratory practical exams which were collected and coded for student role, whether a question was answered correct or not, and if it was taught or not during the recorded peer teaching session. A GEE (generalized estimating equation) was used to determine if student role during reciprocal peer teaching sessions had a statistically significant effect on their likelihood to correctly answer lab practical questions, i.e., their performance. The factor role in the model was statistically significant (Wald χ2 = 34.95 (2), p&lt;0.0001) and indicated that those in the role of peer teacher had 4.14 times more likelihood to correctly answer lab practical questions. In practicality, this equated to an average increase in mean lab practical answers correct of 13% for peer teachers compared to peer learners, whereas peer learners only had a 3% increase in mean lab practical answers correct compared to non‐participants. Given that peer teachers had to be involved in the hands‐on dissection of the anatomical content for their given peer teaching session, the boost to their performance is not surprising. What is surprising is the marginal difference between peer learners and non‐participants. These results may indicate that even though reciprocal peer teaching is premised as an active learning pedagogy, just because it is implemented doesn’t mean the peer learners are participating actively during teaching sessions and were largely passively being taught structures. A suggestion to increase peer learner benefit would be to allocate time for them to have an opportunity to identify and teach structures back to the peer teacher to increase their own retrieval practice. Future directions may incorporate the role of peer teacher as a facilitator rather than a passive lecturer, allowing the peer learners opportunities to become more actively involved in their own learning during reciprocal peer teaching sessions.

Which Pathology Education Method Is More Useful in Active Professional Life? A Survey of Clinicians

Aim: In this study on physicians who graduated at 2000 and after, contribution of the pathology education they received in medical faculties to their active professional lives, its adequacy and necessity, and their opinions and suggestions were examined.Methods: An open-ended, multiple choice and Likert scale format digital questionnaire consisting of 12 questions was filled by the consenting physicians who graduated in 2000 and later.Results: Total 107 physicians (39 (36.4%) clinical, 38 (35.5%) surgical sciences and 30 (28%) general practitioners) participated in the study. Forty-one physicians (38%) took the pathology course only in the third year. Didactic training was most frequently accompanied by microscopy (n = 94, 87.9%) training. Sixty-six (61.68%) physicians additionally received macroscopy training. Pathology education was very useful and beneficial for their current professional life for 75% physicians and was very sufficient and quite sufficient in 45% physicians. There was a statistically significant relationship between the benefit of pathology in professional life and the adequacy of the education received (p = 0.01). The usability of the knowledge (n = 89, 83.2%), the educational methods (n = 78, 72.9%), and the characteristics of the educator (n = 75, 70.1%) were rated as the most important factors for its benefit in active professional life. Case discussions (n= 79, 72.9%), macroscopy (n = 65, 60.7%), and microscopy laboratory study (n= 62, 57.9%), problem-based learning (PBL) (n = 61, 57.0%), and observation in hospital laboratory ( n= 51, 47.6%) are recommended besides objective structured practical exam (OSPE) (n = 85, 79.4%) andobjective structured clinical exam (OSCE) (n = 76, 71.0%). Conclusions: Pathology education will be helpful in active professional life if the curriculum is usable, integrated with the clinic and delivered with diversified up-to-date learning methods. The benefit of pathology education increases in parallel to its adequacy. Also, surgical and internal sciences physicians benefit more than practitioners. It would be appropriate to set up-to-date standards on the years, duration, content and method of pathology education.

PENINGKATAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA DENGAN METODE PEMBERIAN LATIHAN PRAKTEK MANDIRI TERBIMBING PADA MATA PELAJARAN INSTALASI PENERANGAN LISTRIK DI KELAS XI TITL 1 SMK NEGERI 1 MANDAU SEMESTER 1 TAHUN PELAJARAN 2019 / 2020

This research begins with students who cannot do practical job sheets and only copy and copy their friends' work, the authors see that students need guidance / direction so that they are willing to work and be active in PHB assembly practice activities and are able to complete practical job sheets. well and perfectly. The research that the writer did was Classroom Action Research (CAR). The subjects in this action research were students of Class XI Electrical Power Installation Engineering (TITL 1) at SMK Negeri 1 Mandau with 11 students. The data collection technique used in this research is a series of photo folio assessments to evaluate the quality and quantity of the self-guided training method carried out by researchers collaborating with an observer. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively. Based on the results of observations and student learning outcomes in each cycle, it is known that: (1) Providing Guided Independent Practice Exercises is proven to improve student learning outcomes in the subject of Electrical Lighting Installation in Class XI TITL SMK Negeri 1 Mandau, amounting to 96.29% (2) Carrying out practical competency exams (UKP) with not too many test materials can spur students to get good grades of 96%. It can be concluded that the implementation of research using learning with this training method can improve learning outcomes.Keywords: Method of Giving Guided Independent Practice Exercises, Electrical Lighting Installation Subjects.

Benefits of implementing student-led review and mock examinations in the medical undergraduate gross anatomy curriculum

Anatomy consists of material that continually defines a student's undergraduate medical curriculum, and thus attaining a solid understanding of it is critical for academic success. Student exposure to anatomy prior to matriculation to the United States (US) medical school is highly variable, with some first introduced to the material in medical school. As a result, students without foundation in anatomy can struggle with adapting to the self-directed learning style that is required to excel with a prosection-based (i.e. hands-off analysis of a cadaver previously dissected by a professional) approach. In this study, second-year US medical students who have previously excelled in the first-year courses at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine (in collaboration with faculty advisors) designed and offered a mock practical examination that mirrors the official practical exam specific to each course: a timed practical examination using dissected human cadavers and radiological imaging to assess anatomical knowledge, followed by a review session. Since the mock practical and review session was designed from a student’s perspective, the material could be tailored to specifically address topics that students historically have struggled with. Students who participated in the mock practical and associated review sessions reported feeling more confident than their peers who did not participate. In addition, they significantly outperformed their peers on the official practical examination, independent of any demographic factors or educational background. This study demonstrates the benefits of incorporating peer-assisted learning (PAL) into the anatomical component of the medical school curriculum.

The UnEssay project as an enriching alternative to practical exams in pre-professional and graduate education

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated changes in educational strategy, including modification of assessments. Students in the Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) program at Duke University School of Medicine are required to take a course entitled Organ Systems (OS), which includes organ histology. In pre-pandemic circumstances, cumulative histology knowledge was assessed in the form of a practical exam. This year we used the UnEssay Project in lieu of the practical exam to assess student competency in organ system histology. Students worked within their team-based learning (TBL) teams and submitted unique UnEssay projects in a variety of formats. Notable examples of submitted projects include: a histological poetry slam, a histological travel guide, a TikTok histology tutorial, and histology Jeopardy. Student feedback on the project was overwhelmingly positive and each team met the main project objectives. We utilised the UnEssay Project as a means to assess student knowledge and competency in identification of histological features and organs. We applied this project format as a means for assessment, but believe that other applications within basic science education, including graduate courses, would be equally as successful. Based on positive student feedback, we plan to use the UnEssay Project again in the 2021–2022 academic year.

A Blended Learning Develops the Basic Physical Exam Practice Skills for Nursing Student

This student determined the blended learning course that can improve basic physical examination practice. This study is one group pre-posttest design. The development of teaching materials as 7 basic physical examination video pace on Moodle platform. Teaching management is based on information theory by learners determine for self-learning. The purposive sample is 130 second-year nursing students. The student studied by selflearning and demonstrated back to the instructor (Face to face).

Predictors of Success on the National Physical Therapy Examination in 2 US Accelerated-Hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs

Introduction: Although predictors of success have been reported within Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education previously, accelerated-hybrid models of DPT education have not been included and may yield different results. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) performance within 2 US-accredited accelerated-hybrid DPT programs. Review of Literature: Current evidence examining predictors of NPTE success have included admissions data (undergraduate or prerequisite grade point average [GPA] and Graduate Record Examination [GRE]), DPT program GPA, noncognitive variables, and program variables. Although results of the relationship of these variables to NPTE success are inconsistent, DPT program GPA seemed to be the most consistent finding. Subjects: Student records from the 2019 and 2020 graduating classes of 2 accelerated-hybrid DPT programs (4 classes total, n = 355). Methods: Preadmission, noncognitive, within-program, and NPTE preparatory variables were assessed to determine their relationship with NPTE score. The association between each variable and NPTE score was assessed using bivariate correlations. The most parsimonious predictive model was determined using stepwise linear regression analysis. After determining the best predictive threshold for continuous level variables, odds ratios were calculated between each variable and passing the NPTE on the first attempt. Results: Statistically significant associations with NPTE score were noted with most preadmission, within-program, and NPTE preparatory variables; the strongest association was midpoint program GPA (r = 0.576, P &lt; .05). The most parsimonious predictive model consisted of midpoint program GPA, first attempt passing Practice Exam &amp; Assessment Tool (PEAT; dichotomous outcome, passing score ≥600), Scorebuilders Online Advantage examination score, and combined GRE percentage, which accounted for 52.6% of the variance in NPTE scores. The odds of passing NPTE on the first try were 14 times higher in individuals who passed the PEAT examination on the first try and 8 times higher in students with a midpoint GPA of at least 3.35. Discussion and Conclusion: Midpoint program GPA was the strongest predictor of NPTE score, followed by the PEAT and Online Advantage (2 NPTE preparatory variables). Combined GRE percentage was the only admissions variable contributing to the prediction of NPTE score. These findings are not different from previous research examining predictors of NPTE success in other DPT education models.

Examination of Mathematical Errors and Mistakes in Calculus Course

This study was conducted to identify mathematical errors and mistakes made by preservice elementary mathematics teachers in the calculus course. To that end, the document analysis method of qualitative research models was used in the research. The sample of the research included a total of 75 preservice teachers who were attending the Department of Elementary Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at a public university and taking the calculus I course during the fall term of 2016-2017 academic year. Accordingly, written documents including the participant preservice teachers’ papers of interim exams, practice exams, and general exams constituted the data source. The exam papers were scanned with a scanner and transformed into the electronic environment. A content analysis was performed with the data by using MAXQDA 12 qualitative data analysis program, and “data coding” of data analysis techniques was utilized. It was concluded that the preservice teachers made procedural and conceptual errors and mistakes, mathematical errors and mistakes such as recalling generalizations incompletely or incorrectly. Some recommendations were made in light of these results.

Getting Ready for Wound Certification: Promoting Skin Health and Preventing Injuries.

Getting Ready for Wound Certification: Promoting Skin Health and Preventing Injuries.

A low-cost otoscopy simulator increased confidence in mechanical otoscopy skills and tympanic membrane pathology identification among preclinical medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Diagnostic evaluation of otologic diseases often requires otoscopy to visualize the tympanic membrane. The fundamentals of otoscopy include both learning the mechanics of using an otoscope and accurately identifying ear pathologies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was limited peer-to-peer physical exam practice for preclinical medical students. We developed a low-cost 3D-printed otoscopy simulator to teach the otoscopic exam to small groups of medical students. Methods: A modified open-source 3-dimensional (3D) head was printed, and a silicone ear was attached. A user interface was created to display one normal tympanic membrane and four pathologies. Preclinical medical students attended a didactic lecture on common otologic pathologies and on how to perform otoscopy. Students then practiced otoscopy and pathology identification on the simulator in small groups. After the session, students were provided an optional survey to evaluate their confidence in otoscopy skills and pathology identification. Results: A total of 47 out of 134 (35%) medical students completed the survey, of whom 60% reported that training with the 3D printed otoscopy simulator was at least moderately effective in learning the mechanical techniques of otoscopy, and 66% found the simulator to be at least moderately effective in helping them learn to identify pathology. The majority (57%) of students reported that the otoscopy simulator was more effective than practicing otoscopy on their peers. Conclusions: We demonstrate the utility of a novel low-cost 3D printed otoscopy simulator to teach both the mechanical skills and pathology identification necessary in performing an otoscopic exam to preclinical medical students.

The effect of two aspects of grit on developmental change in high school students' academic performance: Findings from a five-wave longitudinal study over the course of three years

Grit is a personality trait defined as perseverance and passion when working to reach a long-term goal and is comprised of two aspects: consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of these two aspects on the developmental changes in the nationwide practice test scores of senior high school students over three years. The sample included 1403 Japanese senior high school students who participated in the nationwide practice exams over three years. We utilized a latent growth curve model to capture the effect of the two aspects of grit on the developmental changes in the test scores. We found that the students with higher perseverance of effort had a higher baseline level of long-term academic performance and increased long-term academic performance over the three years. However, we did not find individual differences in the consistency of interest to be related to the level of the test scores or their amount of change. We could capture the differential effect of the two aspects of grit on developmental change in students' long-term academic outcomes.

A Spoonful of Eponyms Helps the Pathology Go Down: Using Food Eponyms and Visual Mnemonics in Preclinical Pathology Education.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01474-w.