Semi-Structured Assessment of Practical Examination : Need of Hour

ABSTRACT

Background: To evaluate the learning outcomes, objective methods of assessment play an important role.With limited resources in medical colleges, it is difficult to implement objective methods like objectivelystructured practical examination (OSPE). This study is an effort to amalgamate objectivity in conventionaltype of assessment.Methods: 33 students of first MBBS were assessed independently by 3 examiners during practical examination.One examiner awarded marks in conventional manner while two other examiners used semi-structuredassessment taking into consideration the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domain of the students.Linear mixed effects analysis of the relationship between the outcome score and methods of assessmentwere performed using statistical software R. Two models were constructed first, a null-model without anypredictor and examiners as random effect and second, a full-model with method of assessment as fixedeffects and examiners as random effects.Results: Intra-class-correlation (ICC) was 0.24 in null model and 0.01 in full model. The decrease in variancedue to examiners between the models can be accounted to different methods of assessment. Pearson’scorrelation coefficient between the two semi-structured assessments was 0.754 as compared betweenconventional and semi-structured assessment, which was 0.488 and 0.466.Conclusion: Linear mixed effects analysis of the relationship between the outcome score and methods ofassessment shows the significant effect of types of assessment on the outcome score of the students.Semi-structured assessment is better in terms of validity, reliability, feasibility and applicability.