Performance In Summative Assessment Research Articles

A Novel, Mutually Beneficial Student-Faculty Partnership to Develop Real-Time Formative Assessments Aligning with the Preclinical Undergraduate Medical Curriculum.

A shortage of curriculum-aligned formative multiple-choice questions (FMCQs) remains despite their known learning benefits in preclinical medical education due to limitations on teaching faculty time and other reasons. In response, students often use extramural resources such as commercial or collaborative question banks; however, these options are often expensive and cannot be aligned with the content of each school's unique curriculum. In addition, students need feedback on their learning in a manner that parallels the format of summative assessments. In this pilot, the authors aimed to enhance student learning by creating an intramural formative practice resource that was developed as the curriculum unfolded under the direction of the faculty leading the concurrently running curricular units. The authors developed a workflow known as Professor-Reviewed Exam Practice (PREP) in 2023. PREP partnered preclinical medical students and faculty to create vignette-style, single best response FMCQs with feedback for every lecture and self-guided learning module in multiple preclinical blocks of The Ohio State University College of Medicine undergraduate medical curriculum. PREP established a sustainable, student-led, faculty-guided workflow that created high-quality, curriculum-aligned FMCQs for student use in the preclinical medical curriculum over a 14-month period. Usage rates were high across multiple preclinical blocks, reflecting high student demand for FMCQs of this nature and their value as a study aid. Survey data showed faculty agreed that their time commitment and role in the PREP workflow was appropriate. Future work will evaluate the benefits of PREP to students by exploring the potential impact of PREP FMCQs on summative assessment performance and if writing FMCQs confers benefits to PREP team members. Faculty survey indicated that performance data from PREP FMCQs could be used to tailor upcoming teaching and learning methods, which is an area for future inquiry.

The Impact of Script Concordance Testing on Clinical Decision-Making in Paramedic Education.

This study investigates the effectiveness of the Script Concordance Test (SCT) in enhancing clinical reasoning skills within paramedic education. Focusing on the Medical University of Lublin, we evaluated the SCT's application across two cohorts of paramedic students, aiming to understand its potential to improve decision-making skills in emergency scenarios. Our approach, informed by Van der Vleuten's assessment framework, revealed that while the SCT's correlation with traditional methods like multiple-choice questions (MCQs) was limited, its formative nature significantly contributed to improved performance in summative assessments. These findings suggest that the SCT can be an effective tool in paramedic training, particularly in strengthening cognitive abilities critical for emergency responses. The study underscores the importance of incorporating innovative assessment tools like SCTs in paramedic curricula, not only to enhance clinical reasoning but also to prepare students for effective emergency responses. Our research contributes to the ongoing efforts in refining paramedic education and highlights the need for versatile assessment strategies in preparing future healthcare professionals for diverse clinical challenges.

The validity of Engagement and Feedback Assessments (EFAs): identifying students at risk of failing

BackgroundImperial College School of Medicine, London UK, introduced a new curriculum in 2019, with a focus on the GMC outcomes for graduates, and pedagogy best practice. The new curriculum included formative assessments, named engagement and feedback assessments (EFAs), to support learning, and attainment in the summative examinations. The aims of this study were to assess the validity of EFAs and to determine whether they have utility as a modified form of programmatic assessment to inform decision-making regarding possible interventions by measuring and analysing attendance at and performance in these formative events.MethodsSeven hundred and sixty-one students were included in the study and assessment results were included for academic years 2019/20 to 2020/21. Forty-one data points per student, (27 in Year 1 and 14 in Year 2) were used, to compare EFA scores with the summative performance. Attendance was monitored through engagement with the EFAs.ResultsCohort 1 (enrolled 2019): In year 1, EFAs were associated with summative exam scores (overall r = 0.63, p < 0.001). Year 2, EFA scores were also associated with summative scores (overall r = 0.57, p < 0.001), including the clinical practical assessment (r = 0.45, p < 0.001).Missing two or more EFAs was associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of failing one or more summative examinations in the first year (OR: 7.97, 95% CI 2.65–34.39) and second year (OR: 3.20, 95% CI 1.74–5.95). Missing more than two EFAs in their first year was also associated with a higher risk of failing a summative examination in the second year (OR: 2.47, 95% CI 1.33–4.71). Students who increased their attendance between year 1 and 2 fared better in summative assessment than those who maintained poor attendance, whereas those that reduced their attendance fared worse than those that maintained high attendance.Cohort 2 (enrolled 2020): Analysis of cohort 2 supported these findings and in this cohort missing two or more EFAs was again associated with an increased likelihood of failing a summative examination (OR = 4.00, 95% CI = 2.02–7.90).ConclusionOur EFA model has validity in predicting performance in summative assessments and can inform prospective interventions to support students’ learning. Enhancing attendance and engagement can improve outcomes.

Programmatic Assessment for the Specialty of Community Medicine for Undergraduate Medical Students

Programmatic assessment is a holistic and unified approach to assessing the learning progress of medical students. The high-stakes decision to pass or fail medical students in the specialty of community medicine that depends on the performance in summative assessment. This makes the entire process of summative assessment quite challenging for medical students, as they cannot afford any mistakes on the day of summative assessment. We propose a programmatic assessment model for community medicine, by which we can overcome the prevailing shortcomings and take high-stakes decisions based on the longitudinal overview of multiple activities, rather than just performance on summative assessments. The proposed programmatic assessment for the specialty of community medicine will essentially have all these elements, which the community medicine department must cover with an intention to address subject-specific competencies. In conclusion, programmatic assessment has emerged as a valuable approach in the field of community medicine, as it is a comprehensive and systematic method to assess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of medical students in different aspects of the specialty. Further, by ensuring integration between different assessment methods, we can longitudinally track the performance of students and eventually perform a more holistic evaluation of the competencies expected of medical students.

The effect of incentivising pre-class reading on engagement and student performance

ABSTRACT A commonly-held belief is that many university students are ‘assessment-driven’; that is, students engage more with activities that are assessed compared with those that are not. ‘Incentivised engagement’ includes the practice of providing incentives (such as marks or otherwise) for students to engage in particular activities. Perusall is a social annotation platform designed to increase student engagement with pre-class reading. In this study, students in a second-year undergraduate Statistics for Engineering module were invited to carry out the weekly reading activity via the Perusall platform. During the first half of the semester, students’ engagement via Perusall did not count towards student marks, whereas during the second half of the semester, it did. We present the estimated effect of incentivised engagement, via use of the Perusall platform, on student engagement and performance. Our results show that incentivisation increased the engagement of students who were previously less engaged with the pre-class reading. For those students who were previously less engaged and had lower performance in summative assessments, there was also an increase in student performance following incentivisation. However, this effect was not observed for students who were already performing well before incentivisation.

Sustainable Development in Action: A Retrospective Case Study on Students’ Learning Before, During, and After the Pandemic

Adherence to sustainable development in higher education rests on the assessment of students’ academic attainment, especially during unexpected environmental changes, such as the sudden move from face-to-face to online courses during the recent pandemic. Most studies devoted to this issue have compared students’ performance online with that of face-to-face courses before the pandemic, tallying together a variety of courses, often from specific disciplines. Besides their mixed results and generality, such studies do not address the issue of students’ adjustment to the post-pandemic learning environment. The present retrospective case study offered a simple evidence-based model for educators to measure the relationship between environmental changes and students’ behavior for self-reflection and adjustment. It examined students’ academic attainment (as measured by grades) within a broader timeframe, including courses taught by the same instructors face-to-face before and after the pandemic and online during the pandemic. Specific courses of the general education curriculum were selected to include a broad spectrum of students. The study then assessed whether students’ activities before, during, and after the pandemic predicted summative assessment performance (i.e., final exam grades) differently. In this study, performance differences were recorded, usually in favor of post-pandemic face-to-face classes. Midterm examinations were the best predictors of final exam grades irrespective of the modality of instruction and timeframe. Implications and applications of the methodology used and the results obtained were considered.

Students' Perception of Formative Assessment as an Instructional Tool in Competency-Based Medical Education: Proposal for a Proof-of-Concept Study.

In competency-based medical education (CBME), "Assessment for learning" or "Formative Assessment" (FA) plays a key role in augmenting student learning. FAs help students to measure their progress over time, enabling them to proactively improve their performance in summative assessments. FAs also encourage students to learn in a way where they address their knowledge gaps and gaps in their conceptualization of the subject matter. The effectiveness of an FA, as a learning and development instrument, relies on the degree of student involvement in the corresponding educational intervention's design and implementation. The extent of students' engagement in FA can be evaluated by appraising their perception regarding the educational intervention itself. This proof-of-concept study aims to develop a systemic understanding of a Formative Assessment as an Instructional Tool (FAIS) implemented in a biochemistry course in the Basic Medical Sciences component of an undergraduate entry, CBME. The educational intervention in question is an FAIS, which is implemented in a biochemistry course in the first semester of a 6-year bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery program. When developing the FAIS, each area of knowledge, skills, and attitudes were considered. Assessment formats are developed per Miller's learning pyramid. This multiphase study is meant to rely on a convergent mixed methods design, where qualitative and quantitative data are independently collected and analyzed. Thereafter, the outputs of analyses are systematically merged using joint display analysis process. Qualitative data are collected through a focus group session that captures the students' perception toward the FAIS. Data collection, integral to this focus group session, is exploratory. The inductive qualitative data analysis follows Braun and Clarke's 6-step framework. The quantitative component of this study revolves around investigating the effect of the FAIS on the course's summative assessment. The summative assessment performance of the 71 students, enrolled in the FAIS cohort, will be compared to that of the students in the non-FAIS cohort. The total duration of the proposed multiphase research study is 6 months. This proposed multiphase study is expected to showcase, from a systemic perspective, the effectiveness of the respective educational intervention. It will shed light on the participating students' attitudes in relation to the usefulness of FA in achieving competency goals and in fostering self-directed learning. The proposed study could also uncover the hypothesized association between the FA intervention and enhanced performance in summative assessments. Our findings will generate evidence regarding the application of FAs, which can be leveraged by other medical educators in contexts similar to those under investigation. DERR1-10.2196/41626.

Student perceptions in regard to formative assessment in medical education

Background: Formative assessment has been made a point of emphasis by recent National Medical Commission guidelines. It is a useful to ensure continuing progression, learning, and feedback of the student. Eventually, this successful formative assessment should lead to better performance in summative assessment and in their professional career. Aims and Objectives: (i) To evaluate basic understanding of students about formative assessment as well as change following educational session; (ii) To assess perceptions of students in relation to various aspects of formative assessment. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. Participants included second professional year undergraduate medical students. After a brief introductory session about formative assessment, a questionnaire was given to the students following informed consent. The participants had 30 min to fill out the questionnaire. Questionnaire contained 20 questions including different aspects of formative assessment. Change in response in regard to awareness of formative assessment was calculated. Results: Response rate obtained was 92.88%. Total respondents were 130. There was an increase in awareness by 76.92% after educational session. MCQ quiz in middle of teaching session was most commonly recommended form of formative assessment (66.92%). Teacher–student ratio was the most important factor for successful formative assessment. Most students (57.69%) believed that formative assessment should be done every month. Conclusion: Formative assessment is a useful tool for learning for undergraduate students from a student’s perspective. However, feasibility in terms of time and teachers remains the greatest limitation in its successful implementation.

Effectiveness of implementation of formative assessments as a part of competency-based medical education on summative assessment: A pilot study

Background: Assessment is an essential part of each and every education, which represents the learning of a student. If the assessments are performed regularly, it inspires active study habits and inevitably enhance learning. Aim and Objectives: Formative assessments, which are performed regularly, increase the effectiveness of the learning. Hence, we aimed to observe the effectiveness of spaced formative assessments on the performance of students in summative assessments. Materials and Methods: We selected 250 first-year medical students from the 22 to 23 batch. The students were categorized into three groups on the basis of formative assessment performance. Group I did not appear in the formative assessment, Group II scored &lt;50% in the formative assessment, and Group III scored more than 50% in the formative assessment. Multiple comparisons of scores of summative assessments between different groups were done using ANOVA. Scores of formative assessment and summative assessments were correlated using Pearson correlation. Results: We got a statistically significant difference (P &lt; 0.05) in mean summative assessment scores in different groups. Again, the analysis showed formative assessments had a significant (P &lt; 0.05) relationship with summative assessment performance. Conclusion: The performance of formative assessments is predictive of summative examination scores. Academically poor medical students will be benefited from formative assessments.

Ascertaining the Online Learning Behaviors and Formative Assessments Affecting Students’ Academic Performance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of a Computer Science Course

Prior education research has focused on using learning analytics to predict the academic performance of Massive Online Learning Courses (MOOCs) and e- learning courses in universities. There is limited research on online learning that has been transitioned from physical classes and that has continued to use active learning approaches in an online environment. This study aims to determine the variables affecting students’ academic performance for a computing course in a research-intense university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Variables that are indicative of self-regulated learning such as time management, frequency of accessing learning materials and the Learning Management System (LMS), participation in assessment activities and discussions, and the results of formative assessments were extracted from the LMS reports and log files to predict the students’ total marks and final exam results. The findings revealed that good time management and active participation are important for academic success. The results also supported the model for the early prediction of summative assessment performance using formative assessment results. Additionally, this study concludes that the gap in predictive power between formative assessment results and online learning behaviors is small. This research is considered unique because it demonstrates predictive models for students’ academic success for an institution that was forced to transition from physical to online learning. It highlights the importance of self-regulated learning behavior and formative assessments in the contemporary era.

Voluntary participation in flipped classroom application sessions has a negligible effect on assessment outcomes in an accelerated pass-fail course.

Increasingly, basic science educators at medical and health science programs are faced with the challenge of delivering fundamental science content using evidence-based pedagogical approaches that build students' fund of knowledge while also supporting their development as self-regulated learners. This has led to an increased use of active learning-based pedagogies such as flipped classroom teaching. However, there are many open questions about the conditions necessary for successful flipped classroom sessions. In particular, the role of student compliance (i.e., participation, engagement, attendance) in mediating performance needs to be evaluated. This is especially important in accelerated curricula where multiple basic science disciplines are integrated together in pass-fail courses, presenting challenges to both students' time and cognitive load. Data on prematriculation performance, in-class participation, weekly quiz performance, and summative assessment performance from three cohorts of medical students (n = 146) at a new medical school were collected and analyzed. We found that historically high-performing students more readily participated in flipped classroom application sessions compared with historically lower-performing students. Correlational analysis of performance on weekly formative quizzes and the summative course exam was not related to in-class participation. However, performance on weekly formative quizzes played the most significant role in students' performance on summative exams. Efforts to understand the benefits of in-class participation beyond short-term assessment performance, such as long-term knowledge retention or development of noncognitive skills, should be undertaken to justify using such time- and human resource-intensive pedagogies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study explores the use of flipped classroom teaching in a voluntary and accelerated medical school course. We found that historically high-performing students attend class, whereas historically low-performing students do not attend class as readily. Formative assessment performance appears to be more important than participation in determining the final grade. Correlation of high performance (>90%) with participation may differentiate students who excel in our curriculum from those who simply pass with superficial knowledge.

Relationships Between Remote Asynchronous Lectures and Summative Assessment Performance in four Pharmacotherapeutics Courses.

Background: Synchronous education describes when teaching, learning, and assessment occur concurrently and asynchronous education describes when teaching, learning, and assessment occur anytime. Remote learning is where teaching and learning occur via technological means. Objective: This report describes a remote, asynchronous learning method implemented in a 3-year, block curriculum, Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. Methods: Remote asynchronous lectures embedded with quizzes were delivered to pharmacy students at the end of their first professional year and beginning of their second professional year. Camtasia software and Screencast.com were utilized during portions of 4 pharmacotherapeutic-based courses. Students completed time-spaced quizzes embedded every 5 to 15 minutes throughout the videos and quiz scores were recorded. Discrete watches, number of total watches, and average number of video quiz questions correctly answered were examined for Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ρ) with end-of-course summative assessment scores. Results: There were no strong positive correlations between discrete watches, number of total watches, and average number of video quiz questions correctly answered and end-of-course assessment scores (ρ range: -0.47 to 0.25). There were weak to moderate correlations within the rheumatology and dermatology assessment scores based on the Screencast.com content questions and the number of unique video watches (ρ = 0.40), average number of total video watches (ρ = 0.28), and average percent of quiz questions correct (ρ = 0.40), all of which were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Remote asynchronous lectures including time-spaced quizzes were not associated with improvements in summative assessment performance. Mild positive correlations between remote asynchronous lectures and time-spaced quizzes may correspond with discrete questions on a summative assessment but those relationships may be influenced by the content within the remote asynchronous lectures.

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Distance Learning Framework to Adapt to the Changing Landscape of Anatomy Instruction in Medical Education During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

This study presents the design of a DL-framework to deliver anatomy teaching that provides a microfiche of the onsite anatomy learning experience during the mandated COVID-19 lockdown. First, using nominal-group technique, we identified the DL learning theories to be employed in blueprinting the DL-framework. Effectiveness of the designed DL-framework in anatomy teaching was demonstrated using the exemplar of the Head and Neck (H&N) course during COVID-19 lockdown, in the pre-clerkship curriculum at our medical school. The dissemination of the DL-framework in the anatomy course was informed by the Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate (ADDIE) model. The efficiency of the DL-framework was evaluated using the first two levels of Kirkpatrick's model. Versatility of the DL-framework was demonstrated by aligning its precepts with individual domains of key learning outcomes framework. The framework's blueprint was designed amalgamating principles of: Garrison's community inquiry, Siemens' connectivism and Harasim's online-collaborative-learning; and improved using Anderson's DL-model. Following the implementation of the DL-framework in the H&N course informed by ADDIE, the framework's efficiency was evaluated. In total, 70% students responded to the survey assessing perception toward DL (Kirkpatrick's Level: 1). Descriptive analysis of the survey results showed that the DL-framework was positively received by students and attested that students had an enriched learning experience, which promoted collaborative-learning and student-autonomy. For, Kirkpatrick's Level: 2 i.e., cognitive development, we compared the summative assessment performance in the H&N course across three cohort of students. The results show that the scores of the cohort, which experienced the course entirely through DL modality was statistically higher (P < 0.01) than both the other cohorts, indicating that shift to DL did not have an adverse effect on students' learning. Using Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, we showed that the DL-framework is an efficient pedagogical approach, pertinent for medical schools to adopt; and is versatile as it attests to the key domains of students' learning outcomes in the different learning outcomes framework. To our knowledge this is the first-study of its kind where a rationale and theory-guided approach has been availed not only to blueprint a DL framework, but also to implement it in the MBBS curriculum.

Predictors of performance on the pediatric board certification examination

BackgroundExamining the predictors of summative assessment performance is important for improving educational programs and structuring appropriate learning environments for trainees. However, predictors of certification examination performance in pediatric postgraduate education have not been comprehensively investigated in Japan.MethodsThe Pediatric Board Examination database in Japan, which includes 1578 postgraduate trainees from 2015 to 2016, was analyzed. The examinations included multiple-choice questions (MCQs), case summary reports, and an interview, and the predictors for each of these components were investigated by multiple regression analysis.ResultsThe number of examination attempts and the training duration were significant negative predictors of the scores for the MCQ, case summary, and interview. Employment at a community hospital or private university hospital were negative predictors of the MCQ and case summary score, respectively. Female sex and the number of academic presentations positively predicted the case summary and interview scores. The number of research publications was a positive predictor of the MCQ score, and employment at a community hospital was a positive predictor of the case summary score.ConclusionThis study found that delayed and repeated examination taking were negative predictors, while the scholarly activity of trainees was a positive predictor, of pediatric board certification examination performance.

A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Open Book Tests Over Close Book Tests and Perception of Medical Students in Physiology

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Introduction&#x0D; At present, the Medical knowledge is expanding and changing rapidly and there is increasing need to concentrate on education based on competencies. Closed book exam is an established approach to assessment in medical education which is widely accepted method of superficial learning. Adding open book test to the formative assessment can assist in handling this growth of knowledge.&#x0D; Objectives&#x0D; To evaluate the effectiveness of open book test on student's performance in summative assessment and to know the perception of students on open book test.&#x0D; Methodology&#x0D; The study was conducted on I MBBS students (n=150), who were divided into 2 groups, Group I: subjected to open book test for 4 weeks and Group II: subjected to closed book tests for 4weeks. There was a cross-over of the two groups and Group I were subjected to the closed book test and Group II students were subjected to open book tests. The mean marks obtained in summative assessment were statistically compared. Perception of the students was taken through feedback questionnaire.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; The mean marks obtained by the students (n= 141) in the summative assessment after open book test (Mean± SD =26.37±6.235) are statistically significant than those after closed book tests(mean± SD =24.09± 6.3513(p value&lt; 0.005).&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; 71% of students recommended open book tests for the formative assessment. Hence, adding open book test to the medical curriculum along with regularly used closed book test are expected to stimulate deep learning.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

The effect of using flipped teaching in project management class for undergraduate students

Teaching Project Management module to undergraduate students is important and has been globally considered in multiple academic disciplines by many higher institutions. Students in undergraduate level encounter difficulty in understanding the topic of project management since there have no prior knowledge before the course. This paper aimed to determine the effectiveness of flipped teaching and active learning in Project Management module for undergraduate students in Civil Engineering. However, the paper discussed the effective practices in teaching and learning project management and their impacts into students’ learning experience, and assessments development and marking. The Padlet and SurveyMonkey e-tools were used to collect students’ feedback on the instructor practice; either by tagging comments or filling questionnaire. The results indicated that the use of multiple in-class activities and digital technology in a flipped classroom are important to enhance students’ performance. It is also observed that the use of multiple assessments engaged students deeply with the course and provide deeper learning. Students’ performance in summative assessments showed that there is a noticeable improve in student’s scores in the current semester in contrast with previous semester where traditional teaching was practiced.

Feedback, feedforward: evaluating the effectiveness of an oral peer review exercise amongst postgraduate students

Assessment for learning approaches, such as peer review exercises may improve student performance in summative assessments and increase their satisfaction with assessment practices. We conducted a mixed methods study to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral peer review exercise among post-graduate students. We examined: (1) final assessment grades among students who did and did not take part in the peer review exercise; (2) student perceptions of the impact of the peer review exercise; and (3) student understanding of, and satisfaction with, this new assessment practice. We found that students who took part in the exercise had a significantly higher mean grade in a subsequent summative oral presentation assessment than students who did not take part in the exercise. Students gained a better understanding of assessment and marking criteria and expressed increased confidence and decreased anxiety about completing the subsequent summative assessment. Assessment for learning improves academic attainment and the learning experience in postgraduate students.

Enhancing Usage of Scientific Formulae for Students Less Proficient in English Language in an Undergraduate Class: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

The curriculum at General Sciences department in a Saudi Arabian University includes science’’ for Computer Science, Information Technology and Business courses. Students are apathetic towards Physical Science and question, as to, How this course is related to their majors?” More than sixty percent of the students come from institutions where English is not the medium of instruction, which makes student learning and academic achievement challenging as they are less proficient in English language. After observing the uasge of incorrect scientific formulas in assessment test and the number of failures, for two consecutive semesters, the instructor was keen to find an effective strategy to enable students understand concepts and to transformed surface learning to deep learning through developing advanced techniques in writing assignment. The main purpose of this research is to roll the situation and let the students partake in the process of trasformation from diffident failures to confident achievers.This study is participatory action research, in which instructor designs effective written task to engage students in their learning . The study is conducted through two semesters with a total of 32 students. The effectiveness of this approach is studied using questionnaire at the end of each semester, students evaluation and teacher observation. Major outcomes of this study were overall improvement in students uasge of scientific formulas in tests, problem solving, language proficiency, performance in summative assessment and also fortifying confidence. This process transformed instructor into engaging and reflecting practitioner. Also, these strategy was implemented by other instructors teaching the course and proved effective in opening a path to changes in related areas of the course curriculum. However, refinement in the strategies could be done based on student evaluation and instructors observation.

Implementation of formative assessment and its effectiveness in undergraduate medical education: an experience at a Caribbean Medical School.

Two types of assessments used in the medical education are summative and formative assessments. Summative assessments evaluate a student's learning progress and typically provide concrete grades or pass/fail decisions. The main purpose of the formative assessments is to provide the feedback and improve the learning behavior of the students. However, it is less known about the impact of the formative assessments on overall student's performance in summative assessments. This study is intended to study the effects after the implementation of formal formative assessments on students overall performance in summative assessments or any changes in the total grade point average in a Caribbean Medical School which is a low resource context. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted among the basic sciences students at AUSOM in May 2017. The study was supported by quantitative data, quantitative and qualitative questionnaires to address the objectives of the study. Data collected and analyzed with Stata (Stata 15). 58, among 67 total students took part in the study. The mean grade point average (GPA) with and without formative assessment was 2.83 (SD±.624745) and 2.29 (SD±.76575) respectively. There was a significant improvement in the overall GPA after the introduction of the formative assessments t (58) = 0.000567, p < .001. There was a significant improvement in the student's academic performance after the implementation of formative assessments. Formative assessments consolidate the learning and reinforce the learning behavior. It is necessary that formative assessments should be incorporated into the regular assessment system for the optimal educational output.

Early predictors of summative assessment performance in general practice post-graduate training: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Success in summative general practice (GP) training assessments is one indicator of competence for practice. Early-training factors predictive of outcomes would facilitate targeted interventions aimed at preventing candidate failures.Methods: We undertook a retrospective cohort study of Australian GP trainees in two training organizations over five years. Associations of pre-training and early-training predictors with summative examination scores in an Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Key Features Paper (KFP), and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), plus failure on any one of these, were tested via univariate and multivariable regression. Predictors were program-entry selection-score decile, pre-training-commencement multiple choice assessment (MCQA), direct observation of practice performance, and clinical supervisor reports.Results: On univariate analyses, selection decile and MCQA were associated with all outcomes except AKT. There were no associations of other predictors with any outcomes. On multivariable analysis, selection decile and MCQA performance were predictive of OSCE performance. MCQA performance was also predictive of KFP performance. On multivariable analysis, no predictors were associated with AKT performance or failing any examination.Conclusions: Selection decile and pre-commencement MCQA performance were predictive of performance in some summative assessments. These findings could inform selection policies and targeted early interventions for trainees at most risk for exam failure.