Assessing Anatomy as a Basic Medical Science

Methods of assessment in anatomy vary across medical schools in the United Kingdom (UK) and beyond; common methods include written, spotter, and oral assessment. However, there is limited research evaluating these methods in regards to student performance and perception. The National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition (NUNC) is held annually for medical students throughout the UK. Prior to 2017, the competition asked open‐ended questions (OEQ) in the anatomy spotter examination, and in subsequent years also asked single best answer (SBA) questions. The aim of this study is to assess medical students’ performance on, and perception of, SBA and OEQ methods of assessment in a spotter style anatomy examination. Student examination performance was compared between OEQ (2013–2016) and SBA (2017–2020) for overall score and each neuroanatomical subtopic. Additionally, a questionnaire explored students’ perceptions of SBAs. A total of 631 students attended the NUNC in the studied period. The average mark was significantly higher in SBAs compared to OEQs (60.6% vs. 43.1%, P < 0.0001)—this was true for all neuroanatomical subtopics except the cerebellum. Students felt that they performed better on SBA than OEQs, and diencephalon was felt to be the most difficult neuroanatomical subtopic (n = 38, 34.8%). Students perceived SBA questions to be easier than OEQs and performed significantly better on them in a neuroanatomical spotter examination. Further work is needed to ascertain whether this result is replicable throughout anatomy education.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple‐Choice versus Open‐Ended Questions in Advanced Clinical Neuroanatomy: Using a National Neuroanatomy Assessment to Investigate Variability in Performance Using Different Question Types

Merzougui

Myers

Hall

et al. 2021

“…Despite this, a dominance of more traditional summative assessment is still prevalent (Harrison et al, 2017; Bird et al, 2019). In anatomy, applied and formative modes of assessment are practiced but are not used systematically and there remains a perceived proclivity toward fact‐based tasks and, like other areas of medical and health education, an emphasis on summative assessment (Heylings, 2002; Evans et al, 2014; Brenner et al, 2015; Choudhury and Freemont, 2017; Samarasekera et al, 2020). Therefore, as with the delivery of curriculum, anatomists need to challenge and reflect on their approach to assessment and ensure an appropriate balance that includes holistic, active, and more authentic approaches that prioritize the application of integrated knowledge, skills, and attitudes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Anatomy Education: A Perspective from Design

Roxburgh

Evans

2021

Medical and healthcare practice is likely to see fundamental changes in the future that will require a different approach to the way in which we educate, train, and assess the next generation of healthcare professionals. The anatomical sciences will need to be part of that challenge so they continue to play a full role in preparing students with the knowledge and ever increasingly the skills and competencies that will contribute to the fundamentals of their future capacity to practice effectively. Although there have been significant advances in anatomical science pedagogy, by reviewing learning and assessment in an apparently unrelated field, provides an opportunity to bring a different perspective and enable appropriate challenge of the current approaches in anatomy. Design learning has had to continually reimagine itself in response to the shifting landscape in design practice and the threats associated with technology and societal change. Design learning has also long used a student‐centric active pedagogy and allied authentic assessment methods and, therefore, provides an ideal case study to help inform future changes required in anatomical learning and assessment.

“…The majority of the literature on assessment methods in anatomy typically addresses assessment utility indices such as validity, reliability, and educational impact (van der Vleuten and Schuwirth, 2005;Samarasekera et al, 2015), or the pedagogic influence of visual resources in factual multiple-choice questions (Khalil et al, 2005;Inuwa et al, 2011Inuwa et al, , 2012. Anatomy assessments typically test factual and/or applied anatomy knowledge with or without the inclusion of visual resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Owing to the need for authenticity and face validity, i.e. the extent to which a test is compatible with its educational philosophy (van der Vleuten and Schuwirth, 2005;Gunderman, 2008;Sugand et al, 2010;Samarasekera et al, 2015), students are under pressure to develop schemas for relevant text and visuals, and simultaneously be capable of interpreting these visuals used in anatomy and clinical settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Assessment of Applied Anatomy Knowledge: The Effect of Images on Medical Students' Performance

Sagoo

Vorstenbosch

Bazira

et al. 2020

Anatomical examinations have been designed to assess topographical and/or applied knowledge of anatomy with or without the inclusion of visual resources such as cadaveric specimens or images, radiological images, and/or clinical photographs. Multimedia learning theories have advanced the understanding of how words and images are processed during learning. However, the evidence of the impact of including anatomical and radiological images within written assessments is sparse. This study investigates the impact of including images within clinically oriented single-best-answer questions on students' scores in a tailored online tool. Second-year medical students (n = 174) from six schools in the United Kingdom participated voluntarily in the examination, and 55 students provided free-text comments which were thematically analyzed. All questions were categorized as to whether their stimulus format was purely textual or included an associated image. The type (anatomical and radiological image) and deep structure of images (question referring to a bone or soft tissue on the image) were taken into consideration. Students scored significantly better on questions with images compared to questions without images (P < 0.001), and on questions referring to bones than to soft tissue (P < 0.001), but no difference was found in their performance on anatomical and radiological image questions. The coding highlighted areas of "test applicability" and "challenges faced by the students." In conclusion, images are critical in medical practice for investigating a patient's anatomy, and this study sets out a way to understand the effects of images on students' performance and their views in commonly employed written assessments. Anat Sci Educ 14: 342-351.