Differences in clinical grading associated with instructor status

Effectiveness of online faculty calibration: A randomized crossover study

PURPOSE

Dental hygiene faculty members must be able to provide evidence of skill calibration for clinical evaluation of students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of online instructional videos as compared to in-person sessions for faculty calibration.

METHODS

A randomised crossover pretest/posttest research design was used to evaluate online and in-person faculty calibration activities. Fifteen faculty members from a baccalaureate dental hygiene programme were randomly assigned to an AB or BA sequence for calibration sessions on two different instruments. Following a 2-week washout period, the groups switched activity modalities. A pretest, posttest and retention test, administered 10 weeks following the activity, were administered to determine learning levels and the new and retained knowledge. A 7-point Likert scale questionnaire evaluated the reaction to and impact of the calibration activities. Descriptive statistics analysed demographic and Likert scale data. Paired samples t-tests were used to analyse the research questions (p ≤ 0.05).

RESULTS

Online calibration activities yielded higher posttest scores than in-person activities (p = 0.01). Findings related to feelings of confidence revealed that a greater percentage of participants agreed that online calibration activities increased their ability to evaluate student performance. Findings related to feelings of preparedness supported equal percentages of participants who agreed the online and in-person activities increased their ability to teach dental hygiene instrumentation. There was no significant difference between in-person and online retention test scores (p = 0.235).

CONCLUSION

Faculty members agreed that both online and in-person calibration activities were an effective use of their time and contributed to greater feelings of confidence and preparedness. However, the online calibration activities seemed to be more effective at increasing calibration on instrumentation. More research is needed to determine additional effective strategies for the online calibration of clinical faculty.

Differential Grading of Reflective Writing Between Clinical Instructors and Faculty Type

BACKGROUND

It is important for instructors to give equivalent grades for comparable student performances on an assignment. Students complain of differential grading, especially when multiple instructors grade a course assignment.

METHOD

This descriptive comparative study examined clinical instructor-assigned grades for reflective thinking and writing components. Grades for 480 critical reflective papers by 80 undergraduate nursing students were assessed for differences between clinical group instructors and part-time versus full-time instructors.

RESULTS

Despite evidence of comparable student performance on the assignment across both groups, grades differed among the 10 instructors on both components. Grades differed between part-time and full-time faculty on reflective thinking but not writing, with part-time faculty grading reflective thinking higher than full-time faculty.

CONCLUSION

Differential grading was identified between clinical instructors and type of faculty. The merit of multiple instructors grading a single course assignment warrants reconsideration. Enhanced grading training is recommended for part-time instructors who are expected to grade written assignments. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(2):101-104.].

Attitudes and satisfaction of dental faculty toward calibration: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate attitudes and satisfaction of faculty members about calibration efforts in the undergraduate dental program at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study included faculty members (n = 75) who participated in calibration exercises for effective assessments in preclinical and clinical courses. The previously validated questionnaire was utilized. The questionnaire was composed of four sections: demographics, faculty members' attitude, quality of calibration efforts, and faculty satisfaction. The satisfaction score of faculty members was calculated and compared with their demographic data. Descriptive statistics included means, standard deviations, frequencies, and proportions. The data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The response rate was 92% (n = 69). Note that 97% participants agreed that faculty calibration was an important aspect of dental education and 88.10% were willing to attend calibration exercises even if not required by their institution. Most participants (82.1%) agreed students were more satisfied with their clinical education when faculty members were calibrated. In this study, the perception of 85.1% of the participants was that calibration efforts reduced faculty variations. Most participants (73.10%) were satisfied with the quality of faculty calibration exercises in the college. The mean satisfaction score of the sample was 13.21 ± 3.65, which was significantly higher among faculty members with a doctoral degree (13.88 ± 3.64) than those with a master's degree (12.08 ± 3.46) (p = 0.048). The study showed no significant relationship of gender, age, status, and year of experience with faculty's satisfaction with calibration efforts.

CONCLUSION

Most faculty members recognized the importance of faculty calibration in dental education and were satisfied with the quality of calibration efforts. Satisfaction with calibration efforts was significantly related to the high education of faculty members.

Are There Differences in Technical Assessment Grades Between Adjunct and Full-Time Dental Faculty? A Pilot Study

Some dental students preferentially schedule graded assessments with adjunct faculty members in expectation of obtaining a higher grade. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the grades given by full-time and adjunct faculty members in clinical periodontics to determine if a difference in grading existed. Grades for students given by seven full-time and 11 adjunct faculty members for various technical and competency assessments in D3 and D4 clinical periodontics courses in academic year 2015-16 were compared. Associations between grades and faculty type were sought using mixed model regression to account for correlations among a student's scores. A total of 845 technical assessment and competency scores from 208 students in the two classes were included in the analysis. Scores were for four procedures: periodontal examination and treatment planning, scaling and root planing, evaluation of initial therapy, and periodontal maintenance. Full-time faculty members graded 58% of the assessments, and 42% were scored by adjunct faculty members. Grades for the adjunct faculty were on average 0.14 (out of 5) higher than those for the full-time faculty (p<0.0001). The number of graded assessments was also significantly associated with a higher average score, suggesting potential student bias toward selecting faculty members who grade more favorably (p<0.0001). These students generally received higher grades from adjunct faculty members, whereas the grades given by full-time faculty members were closer in average and more consist with each other. The results point to the need for more calibration training for adjunct faculty members.

Maximising the potential of part-time clinical teachers

BACKGROUND

A problem faced by health professions education throughout the world is a lack of full-time clinical teachers. This is particularly serious in dentistry and nursing, but is increasingly also true in medicine. To make up for this shortfall there is a growing reliance on part-time clinical teachers.

CONTEXT

Part-time clinical teachers are essential for the education of students. However, compared with their full-time counterparts, the part-time teachers are often not adequately prepared for their roles as educators within the context of the clinical curriculum. They might not be trained in the latest educational practices, and may be unprepared for the time needed to excel as teachers and mentors.

IMPLICATIONS

As part-time teachers take on more responsibility, it is important that they take part in orientation and training sessions to assist them in developing the skills they need to succeed. This will require a significant commitment from the institution as well as the part-time teacher, but is critical for maintaining the academic quality of the clinical training programmes. This also represents an untapped area for research into how to ensure the success of part-time clinical teachers.