Search

Little is known about the influence of language background in problem-based learning (PBL) tutorial groups on group processes and students' academic achievement. This study investigated the relationship between language background, secondary school score, tutorial group processes, and students' academic achievement in PBL. A validated tutorial group effectiveness questionnaire was administered to undergraduate medical students in a PBL curriculum at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine (NRMSM) in South Africa. Although 58 percent of the students did not speak English as their first language, the tutorials were in English. Furthermore, secondary school scores differed strongly due to inadequate resources between secondary schools. A path analysis was conducted to test a causal model in which the two independent variables were English as the First Language (EFL) and secondary school scores. These variables were assumed to influence the process variables (cognitive, motivational, and demotivational group processes). Input and process variables were assumed to influence the two output variables, being overall group productivity and students' academic achievement. All data were analyzed at the individual student level (N = 387). A very good model fit was found (CMIN/DF = 0.68, GFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.02, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.00). EFL and secondary school scores positively affected students' academic achievement (respectively beta = 0.24 and beta = 0.16). EFL negatively affected motivational group processes (beta = -0.22). Cognitive group processes positively influenced overall group productivity (beta = 0.31) and so did motivational group processes (beta = 0.27). Demotivational group processes negatively predicted academic achievement and overall group productivity (beta = -0.15, and beta = -0.25). The model resulted in an R-square of 0.15 and 0.45 for academic achievement and overall group productivity, respectively. EFL and secondary school scores had a positive effect on academic achievement. Cognitive and motivational group processes had a positive effect on overall group productivity, while EFL negatively impacted motivational group processes. We recommend English language development courses to be formally included into curricula to enhance student learning.

Progress testing provides data on the growth of students' knowledge over the course of the curriculum obtained from the results of all students in the curriculum on periodical similar tests pitched at end-of-curriculum level. Since 2001, three medical schools have jointly constructed and administered four progress tests annually. All students in the 6-year undergraduate curricula of these schools take the same tests resulting in 24 distinct measurements per academic year (four tests for six student year groups), which may be used to compare performance between and within schools. Because single point measurements had proven unreliable, we devised a method to use cumulative information to compare schools' test performance. This cumulative deviation method involves calculation of the deviations of schools' scores from the cross-institutional average score for 24 measurement moments in 1 year. The current study shows that it appears to be feasible to use a combination of the cumulative deviation method and trend analysis for subdomains of medical knowledge to detect strengths and weaknesses in knowledge development in medical curricula. We illustrate the method by applying it to data from 16 consecutive progress tests administered to all students (4,300) of three medical schools in the academic years 2001/2002 through 2004/2005.

Context: Resources for medical education are becoming more constrained, whereas accountability in medical education is increasing. In this constrictive environment, medical schools need to consider and justify their selection procedures in terms of costs and benefits. To date, there have been no studies focusing on this aspect of selection. Objectives: We aimed to examine and compare the costs and benefits of two different approaches to admission into medical school: a tailored, multimethod selection process versus a lottery procedure. Our goal was to assess the relative effectiveness of each approach and to compare these in terms of benefits and costs from the perspective of the medical school. Methods: The study was conducted at Maastricht University Medical School, at which the selection process and a weighted lottery procedure ran in parallel for 3 years (2011–2013). The costs and benefits of the selection process were compared with those of the lottery procedure over three student cohorts throughout the Bachelor's programme. The extra costs of selection represented the monetary investment of the medical school in conducting the selection procedure; the benefits were derived from the increase in income generated by the prevention of dropout and the reductions in extra costs facilitated by decreases in the repetition of blocks and objective structured clinical examinations. Results: The tailor‐made selection procedure cost about €139 000 when extrapolated to a full cohort of students (n = 286). The lottery procedure came with negligible costs for the medical school. However, the average benefits of selection compared with the lottery system added up to almost €207 000. Conclusions: This study not only shows that conducting a cost–benefit comparison is feasible in the context of selection for medical school, but also that an 'expensive' selection process can be cost‐beneficial in comparison with an 'inexpensive' lottery system. We encourage other medical schools to examine the cost‐effectiveness of their own selection processes in relation to student outcomes in order to extend knowledge on this important topic. It's too expensive! Although feasibility is a common concern about selection practice, this study shows through cost‐benefit comparison that 'expensive' admissions processes can be cheaper than 'inexpensive' lotteries [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the effectiveness of single-point benchmarking and longitudinal benchmarking for inter-school educational evaluation. Methods We carried out a mixed, longitudinal, cross-sectional study using data from 24 annual measurement moments (4 tests × 6 year groups) over 4 years for 4 annual progress tests assessing the graduation-level knowledge of all students from 3 co-operating medical schools. Participants included undergraduate medical students (about 5000) from 3 medical schools. The main outcome measures involved between-school comparisons of progress test results based on different benchmarking methods. Results Variations in relative school performance across different tests and year groups indicate instability and low reliability of single-point benchmarking, which is subject to distortions as a result of school-test and year group-test interaction effects. Deviations of school means from the overall mean follow an irregular, noisy pattern obscuring systematic between-school differences. The longitudinal benchmarking method results in suppression of noise and revelation of systematic differences. The pattern of a school’s cumulative deviations per year group gives a credible reflection of the relative performance of year groups. Conclusions Even with highly comparable curricula, single-point benchmarking can result in distortion of the results of comparisons. If longitudinal data are available, the information contained in a school’s cumulative deviations from the overall mean can be used. In such a case, the mean test score across schools is a useful benchmark for cross-institutional comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine whether items of progress tests used for inter-curriculum comparison favour students from the medical school where the items were produced (i.e. whether the origin bias of test items is a potential confounder in comparisons between curricula). Methods We investigated scores of students from different schools on subtests consisting of progress test items constructed by authors from the different schools. In a cross-institutional collaboration between 3 medical schools, progress tests are jointly constructed and simultaneously administered to all students at the 3 schools. Test score data for 6 consecutive progress tests were investigated. Participants consisted of approximately 5000 undergraduate medical students from 3 medical schools. The main outcome measure was the difference between the scores on subtests of items constructed by authors from 2 of the collaborating schools (subtest difference score). Results The subtest difference scores showed that students obtained better results on items produced at their own schools. This effect was more pronounced in Years 2–5 of the curriculum than in Year 1, and diminished in Year 6. Conclusions Progress test items were subject to origin bias. As a consequence, all participating schools should contribute equal numbers of test items if tests are to be used for valid and fair inter-curriculum comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To ascertain whether the grade point average (GPA) of school-leaving examinations is related to study success, career development and scientific performance. The problem of restriction of range was expected to be partially reduced due to the use of a national lottery system weighted in favour of students with higher GPAs. Method We studied the students ( n = 398) admitted to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Groningen, the Netherlands in 1982 and 1983. Data concerning drop-out and study progress were derived from the student administration. Data about career development were obtained from annual interviews with graduates ( n = 318) between 1993 and 2000. Literature searches yielded data concerning scientific performance. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The variables ‘gender’ and ‘cohort’ and their interaction were included in the analyses to account for variation in the general level of the dependent variable and the effect of GPA on the dependent variable. Results GPA scores had no effect on drop-out rate. High GPA scores were associated with significantly less time to graduation, more chance of a preferred placement for specialist training and higher scientific output. GPA was not related to income. Gender differences were found for study duration and scientific output. Women graduated earlier and published less. Conclusion The GPA of school-leaving examinations was found to be related to study success, career development and scientific performance. In this study the usual problem of restriction of range was shown to be absent. The weighted lottery procedure even resulted in an over-dispersion of candidates relative to the applicants. The resulting effect sizes were in agreement with those reported in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]