Judging media -articles on health- related issues: a new kind of biochemistry exam for biomedical undergrad students

Abstract

Health-related popular articles issues and medical tips (or "Dr Google") have taken over the i nternet. Misconceptions are very commonly found among these sources, but recognizing them may require good biomedical knowledge. The ability to judge knowledge is, according to Bloom's scale, a very advanced step in the learning process. In this sense, we decided to use fragments of articles from the internet as part of a formal exam to evaluate students' overall learning of Clinical and Applied Biochemistry (CAB). This test, known as the True-or-False (T-or-F) exam, is made up of statements found online that are judged by freshman medical and nutrition students taking Basic Biochemistry (BioBio). In the last 4 semesters, students' acceptance and responses to BioBio´s T-or-F exam were evaluated through questionnaires (using a 5-point Likert scale). Results from 258 students indicated that 69% of them felt the exam was difficult, 87% thought the exam was of good quality, and 69% believed that using media-questions is relevant for learning CAB. However, only 64% thought the exam evaluated satisfactorily what they learned in class. Also, the average grade obtained was 5.85 (out of 10). This is probably because students are not familiarized with this examination, which requires more than only memorization of biochemical pathways and reactions -it evaluates the application of knowledge. Thus, BioBio´s T -or-F exam is an innovative way of evaluating knowledge and of enabling students to be critic about information received. The majority of students acknowledged the exam´s relevance for learning purposes and, so, it could be well-applied to other fields of science.Acknowledgments: A.C. Lopes, CNPq.