The way quality of assessment has been perceived and assured has changed considerably in the recent 5 decades. Originally, assessment was mainly seen as a measurement problem with the aim to tell people apart, the competent from the not competent. Logically, reproducibility or reliability and construct validity were seen as necessary and…

Although several examples of frameworks dealing with "students'" unprofessional behaviour are available, guidance on how to deal locally or regionally with dysfunctional "residents" is limited (Hickson et al. in "Acad Med" 82(11):1040-1048, 2007b; Leape and Fromson in "Ann Intern Med" 144(2):107-115, 2006).…

Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) plays a pivotal role in present-day competency-based medical curricula. Validity in WBA mainly depends on how stakeholders (e.g. clinical supervisors and learners) use the assessments--rather than on the intrinsic qualities of instruments and methods. Current research on assessment in clinical contexts seems to…

Traditionally, an anatomy practical examination is conducted using a free response format (FRF). However, this format is resource-intensive, as it requires a relatively large time investment from anatomy course faculty in preparation and grading. Thus, several interventions have been reported where the response format was changed to a selected…

It has become axiomatic that assessment impacts powerfully on student learning. However, surprisingly little research has been published emanating from authentic higher education settings about the nature and mechanism of the pre-assessment learning effects of summative assessment. Less still emanates from health sciences education settings. This…

Anatomy education often consists of a combination of lectures and laboratory sessions, the latter frequently including surface anatomy. Studying surface anatomy enables students to elaborate on their knowledge of the cadaver's static anatomy by enabling the visualization of structures, especially those of the musculoskeletal system, move and…

Progress testing provides data on the growth of students' knowledge over the course of the curriculum obtained from the results of all students in the curriculum on periodical similar tests pitched at end-of-curriculum level. Since 2001, three medical schools have jointly constructed and administered four progress tests annually. All students in…

Teachers' reflections are often narrowly focused on technical questions ("how to") and less on the underlying moral, political and emotional aspects of their functioning. However, for a better understanding of teaching practice it is important to uncover beliefs and values that usually remain implicit. Meeting with others is considered crucial for…

Innovations in undergraduate medical education, such as integration of disciplines and problem based learning, have given rise to concerns about students' knowledge of anatomy. This article originated from several studies investigating the knowledge of anatomy of students at the eight Dutch medical schools. The studies showed that undergraduate…

Compared four standard-setting procedures for an objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) in medical education. Applied Angoff, borderline, relative, and holistic procedures to the data used to establish a cutoff score for a pass/fail decision. The Angoff and borderline procedures gave similar results; however, the relative and holistic…

Sequential, standardized patient-based tests were given to medical students at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands); the first test was a screening test that evaluated the efficiency/validity of cutoff scores. Findings indicated that stringent pass/fail cutoff scores on the screening test produced optimal results. Fewer than 0.2 percent of…

Investigates the predictive value of written longitudinal tests (progress tests), block-related written tests, and OSCEs in relation to peer-rated competence of medical students. (Author/SOE)

Reports on major trends in studies investigating the tutor during the past 10 years. Describes three major trends: studies on the differential influence of content expert and non-content expert tutors on student achievement, studies on process variables, and studies on the relationship between tutor characteristics and differential contextual…

Focuses on problem-based curriculum students' generation of learning issues that are guidelines for their individual study. Investigates how many learning issues can be classified as being of good quality and presents examples of well and poorly formulated ones. (DDR)

Lends support to the idea that the quality of the cases used in problem-based learning affects the nature of student learning in this context. Outlines seven principles adapted from research on learning and cognition that can help guide case design. Contains 22 references. (DDR)