Computer-Based Testing Adds Value for Medical Programs

July 13, 2012 - PRLog -- As the pace of technology increases, health science programs and medical schools are embracing this progress by implementing advanced computer-based testing software and analytics programs.

The utilization of computer-based educational assessment tools helps guide learning, ensures competence, and provides students with valuable feedback as they navigate through the medical curriculum.

Medical school tests administered and taken on a computer, for example, help guide learning and ensure competency by providing students with timely, specific performance reports. This feedback provided by educational assessment tools is an especially crucial element in ensuring overall success, because curriculum material during a year of medical school builds upon each other. When students have better tools to evaluate and impact performance, they are better equipped for success.

Students
Students benefit from computer-based testing software ( http://www.examsoft.com/ )  in several ways, including:
• Providing an exam experience similar to that of board or licensing exams
• Increasing efficiency and reliability for exam blueprinting, item banking, and examination content and quality
• Enabling students to better evaluate their performance in subject areas after each examination
• Enabling students to follow their longitudinal performance across the integrated medical curriculum

Specifically, computer-based administration of licensure examinations is commonplace in professional education. For example, the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 tests have been delivered in computerized format since 1998. By delivering medical school tests in the same format, medical school programs can give their students a taste of the testing environment and better prepare students for these important exams.

Administrators and Faculty
Administrators and faculty members also benefit from computer-based testing solutions in several ways, including:
• Simplifying accreditation documentation
• Improving curriculum design
• Helping students with self-directed learning

Instructors often do not have the time to devote sufficient effort to the preparation of exam questions, which impacts the quality of exams and the connectivity to material actually taught in the classroom. Computer-based documentation where specific topics are covered in the curriculum is also an important component of the accreditation process. Utilization of curriculum management tools provides an efficient mechanism to aid in addressing exam creation and accreditation standards.

For administrators, these educational assessment tools and reports also support academic advising and counseling, providing them with a better idea of a particular student’s strengths and weaknesses.

Computer-based testing also allows for administrators to collect learning assessments and performance data for the test administrator to actively compare results and improve their examinations to achieve better learning outcomes.

Improving Testing and Learning Outcomes
Several medical schools and health sciences programs have implemented computer-based testing solutions, such as ExamSoft’s test management system ( http://www.examsoft.com/main/index.php?option=com_content... ), to securely and reliably deliver exams and generate feedback reports that allow students to better evaluate and track their performance.

These computer-based systems support the entire testing process, including exam design, administration, delivery, and analysis to improve the experience for administrators, faculty, and students.

ExamSoft’s online exam software and educational assessment tools have a proven impact on learning outcomes, helping students achieve their potential. If you are interested in learning more about how our solution assists medical education and more specifically, medical school tests, visit www.ExamSoft.com/HealthSciences.