University of Warwick -

Use of e-assessment in medicine

The project at University of Warkwick was to take a a blueprint approach - a 'take action' approach - to assessment where assessment was centred around GMC competency areas, and feedback given on their assessment which would directly guide them to plan learning strategies to help them improve their performance. Assessing by module did not encourage 'integrated thinking' and previously assessments did not use integrated questions (questions relating to subject matter learned ouside that module) teaching and feedback was in terms of a score for each module.

Feedback about learning was a high priority, give students a better insight into their exam performance.

Some staff had to be persuaded of the value of this exericse and not everybody understood or was aware of the GMC competency areas, including Module co-ordinators.

Necessary IT was not in place

Technology

Presented a range of technical challenges, questions were coded against GMC competency areas by use of spreadsheets, record sheets were used by markers that could be scanned by an optical mark reader.

A database was used to correlate exam marks against competency areas.

Students received scores in integrated questions along with attainment against competency areas. Both students and tutors received feedback emails, so tutors could help students interpret results.

System yet to be evaluated, but has influenced assessment policy

Required a new IT Post to help create the systems necessary to roll out and to train admin staff.

Further work:

In order to develop a competency framework for students to cover all four years of the course then all assessments must be 'blueprinted'.

Need to develop an assessment item (question?) bank

A better (than email) automated feedback system

To add a competency element to the portfolio system

No pedagogical drawbacks to providing students with better, individualised feedback on exam performance, however on first implementation students were unsure of how to interpret their results and tutors did not feel equipped to help them.