Perceptions and Utility of Course Evaluations in US Pharmacy Schools

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe the purpose, implementation, and perceived utility of course evaluations in pharmacy programs.

METHODS

After a literature review, a 34-item survey was developed, pretested, and sent to assessment administrators at accredited pharmacy programs (N = 139) with at least 3 follow-ups. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics software.

RESULTS

A total of 90 programs responded (64.7% response rate). Most students (94%) were offered the opportunity to complete course evaluations. Some students completed evaluations during the course (47%), while others did so within 1 week of completion of the course (49%). Whether or not class time was given for students to complete the survey was often dependent on faculty choice (52.2%). Results were typically released after final grades were posted (92%), in time to use for the next semester of teaching (77%). Faculty were chosen to be evaluated by the number of teaching hours (50%) followed by all instructors (45.6%). Programs used the results for performance reviews by chairs (91%), course coordinator reviews (84%), and committee continuous quality improvement efforts (72%). Most programs did not provide faculty guidance on using evaluations (78%) nor development/mentoring (57%); only 22% of programs offered student development in completing evaluations.

CONCLUSION

While most programs invite feedback from all students via evaluations, most did not provide guidance to faculty on how to use this feedback for faculty or course development purposes. A more robust process to optimize the use of course evaluations should be developed.

Microlearning and online simulation-based virtual consultation training module for the undergraduate medical curriculum - a preliminary evaluation

BACKGROUND

Virtual consultation is a synchronous mode of telemedicine provided remotely via information and communication technology. The projected growth of digitalization in healthcare delivery, however, necessitates medical student training in virtual consultation (VC) to ensure safe and effective patient care. This study describes the implementation and preliminary evaluation of a competency-based VC training module for undergraduate medical students.

METHODS

A newly developed six-week VC module was implemented online through asynchronous microlearning and synchronous simulation-based experiential learning modalities. Clinical students in years 4 and 5 and fresh graduates, who had not started pre-registration house officer or residency programmes, were invited to participate. Training outcomes using checklist-based video-recorded assessments of VC encounters between medical students and simulated patients were compared. Each video was independently assessed by two facilitators trained in VC teaching and assessment, using a direct observed virtual consultation skills checklist derived from established VC competencies. The participants completed course evaluations electronically as additional outcome measures.

RESULTS

Fifty-two clinical phase medical students and alumni completed both the instructional and practical phases of this module. Altogether, 45 (95.7%) students found the module beneficial, and 46 (95.9%) reported increased self-efficacy for conducting VC. In total, 46 (95.9%) students would recommend the course to others. Post-test results showed a significant increase in the students' abilities to conduct a VC (t-test = 16.33, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Microlearning and simulation-based sessions were effective instructional delivery modalities for undergraduate medical students in their attainment of VC competencies.

Analysis of Student Perceptions of a Newly Developed Integrative System Course Model

Background

During Spring 2021, we piloted a course model that integrated the immune system and HEENT (head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat) by concurrently presenting them in the context of clinical cases. Immune system topics (e.g., infection, cancer) were tied to their manifestations in the HEENT system, and concepts from both systems were consolidated in weekly case-based learning and small group discussion (CBL/SGD) sessions.

Methods

To evaluate students' perceptions of the effectiveness of this model, we administered to the class a voluntary survey containing closed- and open-ended items; conducted a focus group of 10 students selected via convenience sampling; and employed a mixed approach to analyze the resulting data, including multiple qualitative methods.

Results

Thirty-nine of 74 students completed the survey (53% response rate). In response to the item related to overall effectiveness of using CBL/SGD for system integration, nearly half (48.72%) of these students rated the overall effectiveness as average. Constant comparison analysis of the qualitative data revealed three major themes-student satisfaction with integration of immunology and HEENT, content and time involved in CBL/SGD, and suggestions for improvement-and classical content analysis revealed the relative importance of these themes. Participants held positive and negative perceptions, expressed concerns regarding CBL/SGD (e.g., its helpfulness, complexity), and made suggestions for improvement of integration.

Conclusions

Using multiple methods allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of students' perceptions of the new course model, and we have taken actions to improve course quality in the future.

[Has the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic improved teaching?-Virtual education in otorhinolaryngology from the students' perspective]

BACKGROUND

The Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV‑2) pandemic has significantly changed the education of medical students. Due to the contact restrictions and the associated requirement for distance learning, digital teaching formats had to be implemented within a short period of time. The aim of our work was to analyze student evaluation data for virtual teaching in otorhinolaryngology (ORL) during the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic and to compare the data with previously obtained evaluation data under face-to-face conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Evaluation data for the block practical courses in winter semester 2020/21 and summer semester 2021, which were carried out in a virtual format with a short face-to-face phase as well as those for the block practical courses from summer semester 2018 to winter semester 2019/20, which had been performed completely in a conventional face-to-face format, were analyzed. The anonymous survey of the students focused on various aspects of the courses such as organization, didactics and learning atmosphere.

RESULTS

Of 16 surveyed categories, 14 (87.5%) showed significantly better evaluation results for the virtual courses compared to the courses carried out previously under face-to-face conditions. This very positive assessment of the digital teaching offer showed no significant change during the course of the pandemic over the period of two semesters.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show a high acceptance of digital teaching in ORL for students. Even though essential components of the medical education such as teaching on the patient and clinical-practical skills can still only be realized in a face-to-face format, our data suggest that digital elements could also play a role in medical education after the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic.

Multifaceted Approach to Evaluation in a Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Rotation for Medical Students

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We evaluated whether and to what extent a novel medical student rotation in pediatric and adolescent gynecology (PAG) increases clinical knowledge and skills and meets student needs and expectations.

DESIGN

Constructivist prospective pre-post study and post-rotation student survey SETTING: Academic medical center PARTICIPANTS: Pilot study of 9 medical students, which represents the entire population of those who completed the rotation.

INTERVENTIONS

Four-week clinical rotation in PAG MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in clinical knowledge were measured by a pre- and post-intervention multiple-choice assessment, and clinical skills were assessed before and after the intervention using entrustable professional activities (EPAs); these data were analyzed with paired Student's t tests. Student evaluations of the rotation were measured through an anonymous, end-of-rotation, closed- and open-ended survey and were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

A statistically significant increase in clinical knowledge was observed post-rotation, with a mean pretest score of 67.0% (standard deviation [SD] 1.7%) and a mean posttest score of 75.2% (SD 3.2%, P = 0.02). Statistically significant increases were observed for all EPAs between the first and final day of the rotation. Eight students who completed the post-rotation survey rated the rotation favorably (5 on a scale from 1 to 5).

CONCLUSION

A multipronged evaluation showed that a new PAG clinical rotation significantly increased medical students' clinical skills and knowledge. This multifaceted evaluation method provides valuable insights to educators on how best to tailor a rotation to individual learners' levels of clinical skills and knowledge. If comparable rotations could be instituted and similarly evaluated in other medical schools, a noticeable knowledge/skill gap among trainees might be addressed.

Using the MUSIC Inventory to Evaluate Pathology Courses: an Exploratory Study

BACKGROUND

The MUSIC Inventory evaluates student's academic motivation across five constructs. We aimed to examine its use in undergraduate medical pathology courses.

ACTIVITY

Students from three pathology courses completed questions for three factors of the MUSIC Inventory plus one open-ended question. We conducted an exploratory analysis of the survey data.

RESULTS

Results showed that the open-ended responses corresponded to differences in ratings on the MUSIC Inventory.

DISCUSSION

Combining an open-ended question with the MUSIC Inventory identified differences in student motivation plus aspects of each course that could be improved. The MUSIC Inventory is an appropriate evaluation method for pathology teaching.

Satisfaction with HyFlex Teaching and Law-abiding Leadership Education in Hong Kong University Students Under COVID-19

Since the early days of COVID-19, university teaching has changed from face-to-face format to online mode. With the gradual containment of the pandemic, there is no need for school lockdown. As a result, the teaching format has changed to HyFlex mode integrating both face-to-face and online modes. Obviously, it is necessary to understand the academic quality of life among students under the Hyflex teaching mode. In this paper, we report an evaluation study on a leadership subject in Hong Kong delivered via HyFlex teaching using a post-lecture evaluation strategy. In one of the lectures, we covered law-abiding leadership in university students, including abiding by the Hong Kong National Security Law. The post-lecture evaluation showed that students generally held positive views toward the HyFlex teaching and they perceived that the subject promoted their well-being indexed by psychosocial competence. Regarding the lecture on law-abiding leadership, students agreed that the lecture promoted their psychosocial competence, personal development, knowledge about law-abiding behavior and national security (including the Hong Kong National Security Law), and readiness to serve as socially responsible leaders. Positive perceptions of the lecture design, teacher performance, lecture content of law-abiding leadership and national security, and benefits positively predicted students' overall satisfaction with the lecture on law-abiding leadership and national security.

Evaluation of the partners in research course: a patient and researcher co-created course to build capacity in patient-oriented research

BACKGROUND

In the past decade, patient-oriented research (POR) has been at the forefront of healthcare research in Canada because it has the potential to make research more meaningful and relevant to patient needs. Despite this growing emphasis on and expectation to conduct POR, there is limited guidance about how to apply POR in practice. To address this capacity building need, the Knowledge Translation (KT) Program and patient partners co-designed, delivered, and evaluated Partners in Research (PiR), a 2-month online course for patients and researchers to collectively learn how to conduct and engage in POR.

METHODS

PiR was delivered to 4 cohorts of patients and researchers between 2017 and 2018. For each cohort, we evaluated the impact of the course on participants' knowledge, self-efficacy, intentions, and use of POR using surveys at 3 time points: baseline, post-course and 6-months post-course. We also monitored the process of course design and delivery by assessing implementation quality of the PiR course. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with course format, course materials, quality of delivery and their level of engagement via a 7-point Likert scale in the post-course survey.

RESULTS

A total of 151 participants enrolled in the PiR course throughout the 4 cohorts. Of these, 49 patients and 33 researchers (n = 82 participants) consented to participate in the course evaluation. Process and outcome evaluations collected over a 9-month period indicated that participation in the PiR course increased knowledge of POR concepts for patients (p < .001) and for researchers (p < .001) from pre-course to post-course timepoints. Likewise, self-efficacy to engage in POR increased from baseline to post-course for both patients (p < .001) and researchers (p < .001). Moreover, participants reported high levels of satisfaction with content, delivery and interactive components of the course.

CONCLUSIONS

The PiR course increased capacity in POR for both researchers and patients. This work enhances our understanding of how to design useful and engaging education opportunities to increase patient and researcher capacity in POR.

The impact of a faculty development program, the Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP), on self-efficacy, academic promotion and institutional retention

BACKGROUND

Academic medical centers invest considerably in faculty development efforts to support the career success and promotion of their faculty, and to minimize faculty attrition. This study evaluated the impact of a faculty development program called the Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP) on participants' (1) self-ratings of efficacy, (2) promotion in academic rank, and (3) institutional retention.

METHOD

Participants from the 2013-2020 LAMP cohorts were surveyed pre and post program to assess their level of agreement with statements that spanned domains of self-awareness, self-efficacy, satisfaction with work and work environment. Pre and post responses were compared using McNemar's tests. Changes in scores across gender were compared using Wilcoxon Rank Sum/Mann-Whitney tests. LAMP participants were matched to nonparticipant controls by gender, rank, department, and time of hire to compare promotions in academic rank and departures from the organization. Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine differences.

RESULTS

There were significant improvements in almost all self-ratings on program surveys (p < 0.05). Greatest improvements were seen in "understand the promotions process" (36% vs. 94%), "comfortable negotiating" (35% vs. 74%), and "time management" (55% vs. 92%). There were no statistically significant differences in improvements by gender, however women faculty rated themselves lower on all pre-program items compared to men. There was significant difference found in time-to-next promotion (p = 0.003) between LAMP participants and controls. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that LAMP faculty achieved next promotion more often and faster than controls. Cox-proportional-hazards analyses found that LAMP faculty were 61% more likely to be promoted than controls (hazard ratio [HR] 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.23, p-value = 0.004). There was significant difference found in time-to-departure (p < 0.0001) with LAMP faculty retained more often and for longer periods. LAMP faculty were 77% less likely to leave compared to controls (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.16-0.34, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

LAMP is an effective faculty development program as measured subjectively by participant self-ratings and objectively through comparative improvements in academic promotions and institutional retention.

["Closing the Gap": Results of a survey assessing quality assurance in medical education]

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to survey the current state of quality assurance of teaching at German-speaking medical faculties. Another aim was to determine whether and how the evaluation loop is closed.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent out to 45 German-speaking faculties in the DACH countries to determine how the faculties ensure quality of teaching. Information was collected on qualification programs offered to faculty, course evaluations (LVE), evaluations during the final year (PJ-E), and on the implementation of graduate surveys (ABS-B). Evaluable data sets are available from 29 of the 40 faculties that responded.

RESULTS

At almost all faculties, lecturers can take advantage of various didactic offers. Training programs for (M3) examiners (32%) and PJ supervisors (21%), on the other hand, are offered less frequently. Students at two-thirds of the faculties participate in the planning and implementation of LVEs, which are conducted at all faculties. Almost all faculties conduct PJ-E, and 72% of the faculties report interviewing graduates (ABS-B). However, the responsibility for conducting the ABS-B lies with the faculties themselves in only 48% of the cases. Twenty faculties report various additional teaching evaluations (e.g., evaluation of projects, progress tests). Indicators of teaching quality are mostly student satisfaction (LVE=93%, PJ-E=82%, ABS-B=100%), practical relevance of content (LVE=72%, ABS-B=100%) and quality of supervision (PJ-E=86%). The majority use questionnaires that are often self-developed (LVE=63%, PJ=78%). Surveys are mostly summative and either purely online (LVE=44%, PJ-E=81%, ABS-B=40%) or combined with paper (LVE=56%, ABS-B=60%). The majority of results are reported back to the academic deans in writing and/or as a presentation of results. In addition, faculties conduct results-based interviews with faculty/departments (LVE=79%, PJ=64%) and make binding goal agreements during these interviews (LVE=52%, PJ-E=50%). The survey results are often used to inform curricular development (LVE=79%, PJ-E=89%, ABS-B=80%). However, changes in the curriculum based on these results are not re-evaluated in all cases (LVE=83%, PJ-E=60%, ABS-B=63%).

CONCLUSION

This study provides an overview of the evaluation practice at German-speaking medical faculties. The number of evaluations carried out in the various areas related to teaching indicates that quality assurance of teaching is taken very seriously by medical faculties. However, there is still need for optimization in some areas: training programs for examiners and PJ supervisors should be offered more frequently to ensure teaching quality. It should also be examined whether the quality indicators used can be supplemented to include, for example, the indicator "giving appropriate feedback". Very often, self-developed questionnaires are used whose reliability and validity are questionable. The use of standardized questionnaires would be desirable in order to be able to adequately classify the results. In addition, the evaluation cycle is not closed with re-evaluations in all cases after curricular changes have been implemented. This is especially true of changes initiated by the PJ-E and ABS-B. .

[Curricular teaching during the COVID-19-pandemic : Evaluation of an online-based teaching concept]

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has created multiple challenges for health care, social and economic systems worldwide, but also for school and university teaching. Most learning has been shifted to online classes. So far, it is unclear whether these changes are well received within the student body.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was the evaluation of a newly developed online-based teaching concept for medical students studying radiology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The concept consisted of 12 online seminars of the 11-week course "Imaging Procedures", which were combined with 31 prerecorded video presentations. Five weeks after the start of the summer term, we conducted an anonymous online survey, which consisted of 12 questions and a box for additional comments. Furthermore, we analysed the number of requests of the presentations, the duration and the average viewing time.

RESULTS

In all, 110 of 213 students (51.6%) completed the survey; 72.7% stated that the new teaching concept drew their interest for radiology, 78.2% agreed that it incited self-study as well as would facilitate time- and place-independent learning (95.5%). The majority indicated that the time investment for the video presentations was appropriate, but shorter video sections would simplify the learning process (70.9%) and the ideal timeframe would be 10-20 min. The majority (80.9%) agreed that the concept should be maintained in upcoming semesters.

CONCLUSIONS

This newly developed online-based teaching concept enjoys high acceptance rates among students. It offers advantages such as time- and location-independent learning, possibilities for self-study and should be maintained in upcoming semesters after the end of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived benefit of a student-led journal club presentation in a pharmacotherapy module

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate student's perceptions of a student led journal club.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

There were four, paired student led journal club sessions throughout the five week Women's and Men's Health Pharmacotherapy course. Journal club topics expanded upon didactic lecture material. A voluntary end-of-course survey was administered. Survey questions pertained to student's perception of the activity. Course and journal club grades were collected to identify correlations between demographics and performance.

FINDINGS

All 91 students were given the survey (92.3% completion rate). Most students had not completed the journal club elective course or a journal club presentation previously (84.5% and 70.2%, respectively). Post-intervention prior to the course, most students did not feel confident in evaluating primary literature or presenting a journal club (61.9% and 59.5%, respectively). By the end of the course, most students felt an improvement in confidence in evaluating primary literature and presenting a journal club (88.1% and 89.3%, respectively). Most students agreed the journal club activities adequately complemented course material and was a beneficial course component (84.5% and 85.7%, respectively). Students felt better prepared for their Doctoral Candidate Seminar and pharmacy year four experiential rotations (76.1% and 86.9% respectively). Overall students reported that the journal club activity should be included in future courses (79.7%). The only parameter that predicted student confidence to present the journal club was completion of a journal club prior to the course. (p = 0.013) SUMMARY: Students perceived the journal club presentation in a pharmacotherapy module to be beneficial and agreed it should be included in future courses.

Course quality management based on monitoring by students at a medical school

PURPOSE

This study aims to develop a system of course monitoring by students and evaluate the course quality management system (CQMS) implemented as an educational assessment tool.

METHODS

This research was conducted in accordance with the ADDIE model which is a well-known instructional design model. The ADDIE process includes needs analysis, design of the course monitoring and course evaluation, development of evaluation forms, implementation of course monitoring, and evaluation of the program.

RESULTS

To meet the need for a system that can replace the traditional lecture evaluation approach, this study developed and implemented a new course evaluation system. In comparison with the quantitative evaluation method, course monitoring by students provided more qualitative information on classes and courses from the students' perspective. The students&apos; realistic description helped know how student felt the atmosphere of class and what kinds of teaching style students preferred. However, some view that the evaluation by the four monitoring members was less reliable.

CONCLUSION

This study proposed a course quality management based on students' monitoring which emphasized the narrative evaluation to help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the classes and gather qualitative information from the students' perspective that can be used to improve the courses. It is expected that providing the monitoring members with better orientation could help manage the quality of the courses using the monitoring system.

Potential bias factors that affect the course evaluation of students in preclinical courses

PURPOSE

We aim to identify what potential bias factors affected students' overall course evaluation, and to observe what factors should be considered in the curriculum evaluation system of medical schools.

METHODS

This study analyzed students' ratings of preclinical instructions at the Ajou University School of Medicine. The ratings of instructions involved 41 first-year and 45 second-year medical students.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference between years of study and ratings' scoring. Learning difficulty, learning amount, student assessment, and teacher preparation from second-year students were significantly higher than first-year students (p<0.05). The analysis results revealed that student assessment was the predictor of ratings from first-year students, while teacher preparation was the predictor of ratings from second-year students.

CONCLUSION

We found significant interactions between year of study and the students' rating results. We were able to confirm that satisfaction of instructions factors perceived by medical students were different for the characteristics of courses. Our results may be an important resource for evaluating preclinical curriculums.

A simulation-based curriculum to introduce key teamwork principles to entering medical students

BACKGROUND

Failures of teamwork and interpersonal communication have been cited as a major patient safety issue. Although healthcare is increasingly being provided in interdisciplinary teams, medical school curricula have traditionally not explicitly included the specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors required to function effectively as part of such teams.

METHODS

As part of a new "Foundations" core course for beginning medical students that provided a two-week introduction to the most important themes in modern healthcare, a multidisciplinary team, in collaboration with the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment, was asked to create an experiential introduction to teamwork and interpersonal communication. We designed and implemented a novel, all-day course to teach second-week medical students basic teamwork and interpersonal principles and skills using immersive simulation methods. Students' anonymous comprehensive course evaluations were collected at the end of the day. Through four years of iterative refinement based on students' course evaluations, faculty reflection, and debriefing, the course changed and matured.

RESULTS

Four hundred twenty evaluations were collected. Course evaluations were positive with almost all questions having means and medians greater than 5 out of 7 across all 4 years. Sequential year comparisons were of greatest interest for examining the effects of year-to-year curricular improvements. Differences were not detected among any of the course evaluation questions between 2007 and 2008 except that more students in 2008 felt that the course further developed their "Decision Making Abilities" (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.07-2.67). With extensive changes to the syllabus and debriefer selection/assignment, concomitant improvements were observed in these aspects between 2008 and 2009 (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.28-3.50). Substantive improvements in specific exercises also yielded significant improvements in the evaluations of those exercises.

CONCLUSIONS

This curriculum could be valuable to other medical schools seeking to inculcate teamwork foundations in their medical school's preclinical curricula. Moreover, this curriculum can be used to facilitate teamwork principles important to inter-disciplinary, as well as uni-disciplinary, collaboration.

Smartphone-based evaluations of clinical placements-a useful complement to web-based evaluation tools

PURPOSE

Web-based questionnaires are currently the standard method for course evaluations. The high rate of smartphone adoption in Sweden makes possible a range of new uses, including course evaluation. This study examines the potential advantages and disadvantages of using a smartphone app as a complement to web-based course evaluationsystems.

METHODS

An iPhone app for course evaluations was developed and interfaced to an existing web-based tool. Evaluations submitted using the app were compared with those submitted using the web between August 2012 and June 2013, at the Faculty of Medicine at Uppsala University, Sweden.

RESULTS

At the time of the study, 49% of the students were judged to own iPhones. Over the course of the study, 3,340 evaluations were submitted, of which 22.8% were submitted using the app. The median of mean scores in the submitted evaluations was 4.50 for the app (with an interquartile range of 3.70-5.20) and 4.60 (3.70-5.20) for the web (P=0.24). The proportion of evaluations that included a free-text comment was 50.5% for the app and 49.9% for the web (P=0.80).

CONCLUSION

An app introduced as a complement to a web-based course evaluation system met with rapid adoption. We found no difference in the frequency of free-text comments or in the evaluation scores. Apps appear to be promising tools for course evaluations. web-based course evaluation system met with rapid adoption. We found no difference in the frequency of free-text comments or in the evaluation scores. Apps appear to be promising tools for course evaluations.

Strengthening partnerships: The involvement of health care providers in the evaluation of authentic assessment within midwifery undergraduate education

Collaborative partnerships between health care providers and academics are essential in the provision of quality undergraduate midwifery programs. While health care providers often contribute to clinical assessment and teaching in midwifery programs, they are rarely involved in assessment design and evaluation. This paper describes the evaluation of an assessment task designed to develop critical thinking skills in final year undergraduate midwifery students. Health care providers' involvement sought to confirm the authenticity and validity of the assessment task and facilitate further engagement. A mixed method descriptive study design was used. After reviewing a sample of student work, health care providers completed a 20 item survey and participated in a focus group. Survey items were based on the domains of Educational Acceptability, Educational Impact and Preparation for Practice. Participants gave high scores for each domain and commented positively on the innovative nature of the assessment, students' ability to undertake in-depth analysis of complex cases, and development of student's critical thinking skills. Participants also reported greater confidence in students' competence and the program. Involving health care providers in evaluation of an assessment task validated the assessment, contributed to clinicians' perceptions of student credibility, and fostered strong links between the program and industry.

A trend study of student' consistent responses to course evaluation

PURPOSE

Most students choose the same option to questions in course evaluation surveys. Identical answers to each question render the results unreliable. The purpose of this study was to analyze the trend of medical student' consistent responses to course evaluations.

METHODS

The data of this study were the results of a course evaluation over 3 years (from 2006 to 2008) at the School of Medicine at A University.

RESULTS

The proportion of students who replied with the same answers to each question was below 20%. This result was consistent in freshmen, sophomores, and junior students. Using a 5-point Likert scale, more than 40% of the students gave 5 points consistently.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that student' responses to evaluations do not have a significant impact on the reliability of course evaluations at Medical School at A University. These results differ significantly from those of previous research. Hence, future studies are required to analyze course evaluations in medical schools using diverse aspects.