ABSTRACT
Continuous efforts are made by many educational researchers and quality experts to measure Program learning outcomes (PLO) by using direct and indirect methods in medical education. To overcome the challenges and limitations in the measurement of PLO, educational researchers use different sources of data to increase the probability that the measured value represents the accurate scenario. In the recent past, education researchers showed more interest in CCEAS. It emerged from the fact that student learning is assessed all the time in the courses to move ahead in the program. Many higher education institutions (HEI) and accreditation bodies recommend the course-embedded assessment method to measure PLO. However, the HEI uses randomization method to embed the course assessments on the PLO. In all these methods, the measurement of PLO is analyzed to improve the quality of the program than focusing on improving the learners in the program. In the perspective of internal quality assurance, the measurement of PLO is not only the retrospective analysis of the learner’s exit the program; rather it should identify the “outcome gap” in the learners of all the phases in the program. Finally, the improvisation must benefit the learners entering the phase as well as the learner’s progress to the next phase. The best fitting answer will be “implementation of CCEAS to measure the PLO, and it acts as a magnifying lens to visualize the microenvironment (courses and learners) in the program and analyze the standard of learning and teaching to improve the overall performance of all the learners and program (Assurance of learning (AOL))”. However, the importance of macro-level measurement of PLO cannot be negated because it acts as a validation of what is measured and implemented at the micro-level (courses level).
ABSTRACT
Background: The thymus is one of the primary lymphoid organs other than being the bone marrow. It is responsible for the provision of thymus-processed lymphocytes (T lymphocytes) to the whole body. Aim of the study: To study the microscopic architecture of the cortex and medulla, structure and type of epithelial cells, nature of connective tissue stroma, vasculature of thymus organ, the morphology of Hassall Corpuscle (HC). To study the histometric analysis like estimation of volume and diameter of HC at various gestational age. Method: Total 20 aborted and still born fetuses ranging from 17-39 weeks of gestation were used for the study. After embalming, meticulous dissection, thymus gland was weighed and fixed with formalin. The various histological and histometric parameters were observed. Results: The cortex and medulla were well demarcated by the 17th week. The weight and volume of the thymus were proportionately increased as the fetal age advanced. Early phase had thick mucoid interlobular septae whereas the later phase had thin, reticular interlobular septae. Four different types of HC (SHC, CHC I, CHC II and DHC) in fetus were seen. The presence of solid HC at the periphery of the medulla and degenerating HC at the central core of the medulla tends to postulate the direction of maturation which is from the periphery to the center of the medulla. Conclusion: The findings of the present study is in conformity with studies related to the volume and size of the thymus with respect to gestational ages and histological features related to parenchymal and mesenchymal tissue composition and its various components. However, the present study noted different types of Hassall’s Corpuscles which are reported in the adult thymus and the findings lead to further discussion on the maturation and differentiation of Hassall’s Corpuscles in human fetal thymus.