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National Workshop on Assessment Methods for Learning Evaluation In Basic Medical Sciences
Evaluation of learning is an integral component of an education system. An evaluation program is significantly effective when appropriate techniques and tools for assessment are applied. Various assessment methods are used in written examinations and practical examinations. In written examination, questions are typically classified into Essay type, Short Answer Question (SAQ) type, or Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) type. Practical examinations are full length practical exercises and objectively structured practical examinations (OSPEs). Some of these tools are inherently subjective, while other tools may be applied with high degree of objectivity. However, in principle no method of assessment can be intrinsically flawless. Therefore, it is perceivable that an evaluation system based on available tools and techniques of assessment should be improvised in a way that it becomes reliable and valid. Because these would contribute towards quality and efficacy of an assessment system and have a direct bearing on the performance of students in examination. The development of valid and reliable evaluation program is a primary responsibility of teachers. During the residency program, there is no training as to how to devise and use these tools of assessment. On the other hand, it is imperative that teachers engaged in teaching in medical colleges and institutions receive proper training towards creating, applying, analyzing and improving objective methods of teaching – learning evaluation. This constitutes the basis of the proposed workshop.
The proposed workshop aims at providing hands-on training for creating, applying, analyzing, and improving objectives assessment tools like MCQs, OSPEs and SAQs in basic medical sciences to a group of selected participants through intensive training sessions over three (3) days. Participants shall take part in plenary sessions with experts followed by sessions of hands-on learning, in groups, for making, applying, analyzing, validating and improving MCQs, OSPEs and SAQs by participants under the guidance of dedicated group monitors and resource persons. Each group shall present the group-performance to the whole house constituted of other groups of participants, group monitors, resource persons and experts and this will be followed by extensive interaction.
Participants shall receive Assessment Methods for Learning Evaluation (AMLE) kit containing relevant papers, instructions, power point presentation of lectures, model questions, address of participants, experts, resource persons, monitors, and relevant web links and other leads. This kit will be of help to participants during the workshop sessions and in implementing their learned knowledge and skills on objective assessment for learning evaluation in their respective subjects in their own niche and using their own infrastructure. |