Effectiveness of checklist in objective structured practical examination as teaching tool for learning practical physiology

ABSTRACT

Background: Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) is becoming popular as an assessment tool among pre and paraclinical departments. Checklist being the important component of OSPE, which can set out skills, attitudes, strategies, and offers ways to systematically organize information that student needs to learn. Traditional demonstration (TD) with its own drawback makes us to look for newer teaching method of objective learning, which checklist of OSPE can serve. Hence, we intend to know whether the checklist of OSPE can be used as a tool for teaching practical physiology. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare effectiveness of using checklist of OSPE and TD in teaching practical physiology and to evaluate the perception of students and faculty regarding checklist of OSPE as teaching tool. Materials and Methods: Sixty First MBBS students were sensitized to both checklist of OSPE and TD for six physiology practical sessions in two groups. Crossover was done between the groups for checklist of OSPE and TD. Marks obtained in OSPE were compared. Feedback was given to students about their performance after their OSPE assessment. Student’s and faculty’s perception on use of checklist of OSPE as teaching tool were obtained using questionnaires. Results: The mean marks scored in OSPE were compared using unpaired t-test. The total mean scores following the sensitization with checklist of OSPE were 53.36 ± 4.78 and with TD were 47.01 ± 5.52 and P value < 0.001, which was highly significant. The students and faculty felt that checklist of OSPE pattern was more objective, helped to learn clinical skills and knowledge better. Conclusions: Checklist of OSPE is a better tool to teach practical and clinical skills in physiology as it is more reliable, objective, and also helps to self-assess different aspects of knowledge.