Post on 04-Jan-2016
description
Essays for a Large Medical School Class?
Amy L. Wilson-Delfosse, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Pharmacolgy
Assistant Dean for Basic Science EducationCase Western Reserve University
Assess understanding of key concepts
Why Test?Why Test?
Assess understanding of key concepts
Assess application of concepts taught
Why Test?Why Test?
Assess understanding of key concepts
Assess application of concepts taught
Assess problem solving, analytical reasoning, critical thinking
Why Test?Why Test?
Assess understanding of key concepts
Assess application of concepts taught
Assess problem solving, analytical reasoning, critical thinking
Identify students who need remediation
Why Test?Why Test?
Why Test?Why Test?
Assess understanding of key concepts
Assess application of concepts taught
Assess problem solving, analytical reasoning, critical thinking
Identify students who need remediation
Inform revisions to the curriculum
How to Test?How to Test?
Instructional Objectives/Goals
How to Test?How to Test?
Instructional Objectives/Goals
Instructional Methods
How to Test?How to Test?
Instructional Objectives/Goals
Instructional Methods
Assessment
How to Test?How to Test?
Align your assessments with your instructional goals!
Instructional Objectives/Goals
Instructional Methods
Assessment
CWRU’s re-alignmentCWRU’s re-alignment
Exams developed on a lecture-by-lecture basis where each faculty submitted 2-3 MCQ-items per hour—lacked
integration and perspective
Minimal investment of faculty time
Students ‘binged and purged’
Students challenged questions that weren’t covered in lecture
Pre-Western Reserve2 Curriculum Reform
Drive learning Facilitate continuous rather than episodic learning Promote supportive and collaborative relationship among
students Provide frequent formative feedback Provide periodic judgments of students progress based on
multiple methods of assessment both qualitative and quantitative
Assessments Should …Assessments Should …
Guiding Principles
Formative Assessments –Throughout the Course Weekly 2 Synthesis Essay Questions (SEQs)
plus 20-30 MCQs
Summative Assessments—End of Course Summative Synthesis Essay Questions (SSEQs)
Design FeaturesDesign Features
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay Questions
Goals
Test reasoning about content rather than content alone
Assess application of content and integration of concepts rather than recall of isolated facts
Test integration of concepts within and across courses
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay Questions
Construction
Each question should begin with a clinical scenerio
Emphasize higher order thinking skills, e.g., application/comprehension/problem solving
State the question clearly
Offer guidelines and structure to the type of responses expected to facilitate the job of grading
Template each essay with multiple parts
Engage a collaborative group of specialists to write
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay Questions
Grading
Electronic exam system facilitates grading
Develop point structure for each subquestion and clearly determine credit for each concept tested in advance
One content expert grades one subpart for entire class
Set final pass marks after analyzing performance of the exam
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay Questions
Time Requirements
Electronic exam system facilitates grading
Develop point structure for each subquestion and clearly determine credit for each concept tested in advance
One faculty member grades one subpart for entire class
Set final pass marks after analyzing performance of the exam
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay QuestionsExample:Patricia Moran is a 26-year-old woman who is seeing her primary care physician for the first time. She has been treated for Graves‟ disease with propylthiouracil (PTU) in the past. She stopped taking the pill about a year ago because she felt fine and didn‟t think she needed it. Since then she has lost 20 pounds and says that she is unusually nervous. She is “hot and sweaty” all the time, and has hand tremors, and heart palpitations. Her periods are also scanty and she can go 2-3 months in between periods. She has noticed an increase in the frequency of her bowel movements. On physical examination, she has a very rapid heart rate of 120. Her skin is warm and moist, and feels unusually smooth and velvety. She has a fine tremor in her hands. She also has bilateral exophthalmos (eyes protrude from the orbits). Her thyroid gland is large and there is a thyroid bruit (rushing of blood when auscultating the thyroid with a stethoscope). Her deep tendon reflex (DTR) relaxation phase is very brisk.
6. (a) Explain what has gone awry with this patient’s thyroid gland and why her eyes are bulging forward, and (b) Using your knowledge of the normal physiologic effects of thyroid hormone on the body, explain how thyroid hormone causes the signs and symptoms noted above.
7. Explain the synthesis of thyroid hormone. In your answer, please explain regulation by the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPA) axis and how thyroid hormone is carried in the blood. Also, explain why a serum TSH level is a useful test in this patient.
8. Explain the key cellular signal transduction steps by which TSH acts as a thyroid stimulating hormone. Include in your answer an explanation of the basic protein structure of the receptor for TSH and how TSH interacts with this receptor. Also explain the reactions at the cell surface, within the cytoplasm, and within the nucleus.
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay Questions
Advantages Disadvantages
Faculty time to write essays
Faculty time to grade essays
Increased time to grade release
Tests higher order thinking in an unprompted fashion
Drives deep concept learning
Informs curricular improvements
SSEQs SSEQs Summative Synthesis Essay QuestionsSummative Synthesis Essay Questions
Advantages Disadvantages
Faculty time to write essays
Faculty time to grade essays
Increased time to grade release
Test higher order thinking in an unprompted fashion
Drive deep concept learning
Informs curricular improvements
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
The Students and Faculty of the Western Reserve2 Curriculum
Klara Papp, Ph.D. – Director of Medical Student Assessment
International Association of Medical Science Educators
Annual meeting
June 18-21, 2011
St. Petersburg, Florida
Sponsoring Institution: University of South Florida