Essay ( BAQ,SAQ, LAQ)type structured Questions their

need advantages and disadvantages

DR .Swanand S. Pathak

MBBS MD DACM IDCR

Associate Professor

Dept. of Pharmacology

JNMC

drswanandp@yahoo.co.in

At the end of the session the learner should be able to

Define what is an essay type of question

Identify the features of different types of essay questions

Elaborate on their proper applications and utilization.

Construct and critically review examples of various types of essay questions

Supply type

• BAQs/SAQs - restricted response

• LAQs OR Essay Type – extended response

Simple essay

Structured or modified essay

PMP ( patient management problem )

MEQ ( modified essay questions )

“A test item which requires a response composed by the examinee, usually in the form of one or more sentences, of a nature that no single response or pattern of responses can be listed as correct, and the accuracy and quality of which can be judged subjectively only by one skilled or informed in the subject”

John M. Stalnaker 1951 (A psychologist, educator and former president of the corporation that selects high school students as National Merit Scholars.)

1. Requires examinees to compose rather than select their response.

2. Elicits student responses that must consist of more than one sentence.

3. Allows different or original responses or pattern of responses.

4. Requires subjective judgment by a competent specialist to judge the accuracy and quality of responses.

• What does it assess ?

Knowledge attitude skill

• The level of knowledge

Knows knows how shows how does

• Utility in summative assessment

Yes

• Validity ( content ) medium

• Reliability medium

Advantages

• Assessment of higher cognitive function

• Promotion of critical thinking

• Presentation of ideas in organized and logical manner

• Ease of construction

Domain

Cognitive

Parenteral route

MCQ

Which of the following is a parenteral route of drug administration?

A. Oral

B. Sublingual

C.Topical

D. Intramuscular

Shortcomings

• By chance

• Cancellation of other alternatives

• Very restricted knowledge is tested

• Copied very very easily

BAQ

• Enumerate four routes of parenteral drug administration

Advantages

• Answer in the form of key words.

• There is a specificity in the answer

• The objectivity is same as that of MCQ type questions

• Students need not show any skills in answering the question

• Marking system can be validated easily

Disadvantages

• Student may not know the subject in depth.

• Does not test the reasoning ability.

• Can be copied by the students easily

SAQ

Define what is parenteral roure . Enumerate four parenteral routes of drug administration.

Advantages

• Answer in the form of key words (partly)

• There is a specificity in the answer

• Students need not show any skills in answering the question

• Marking system can be validated easily

Disadvantages

• Student may not know the subject in depth.

• The objectivity is less than the MCQ/BAQ type questions

• Does not test the reasoning ability.

• Can be copied by the students easily

Forming a better SAQ

• Clear regarding what you want to test.

• Whether SAQ is really required?

• Framing of the question should be precise.

• The expected answer should be to the point consisting of key words.

• Prepare a model answer and the distribution of marks

SAQ

Define what is parenteral roure . Enumerate four parenteral routes of drug administration.

LAQ

Parenteral route of drug administration – 10 m

Vague

Tying the cow to coconut tree phenomenon

No objectivity in evaluation

STRUCTURED LAQ

What are the various routes of drug administration?

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

parenteral route. What precautions are to be taken while

administering the drug through the parenteral route?

Advantages

• In depth knowledge of the subject is required to answer the question.

• Evaluates thinking and reasoning.

• Student has to apply the skill to answer the question.

• The answer can not be copied easily.

• Even if copied one can make out easily.

Disadvantages

• Least objectivity

• More subjective

• Knowledgeable expert required for evaluation

• A halo and anti halo effect.

• Time consuming scoring system.

Patient Management Problem(PMP)

A 32 yrs old male unconscious patient was brought to the ward with the history of consumption of an organo phosphorus poison. You want to administer the drug Pralidoxime.

What route of drug administration will be preferred in this case ? What general precautions are to be taken while administering the drugs by this route? In what dose Pralidoxime is administered ? What are the adverse drug reactions you suspect with Pralidoxime?

Modified Essay Question(MEQ)

A 3yr old boy was given inj. tetanus toxoid by a paramedical worker at PHC.

What are the advantages of parenteral route of drug administration over the oral route?

By which parenteral route inj tetanus toxoid is given?

What is the commonest site of administration of tetanus toxoid ?

Three days later the patient presented in the OPD with the abscess at the injection site.

What are the probable causes of the abscess?

What precautions should be taken to prevent the condition?

How to form a better LAQ• Clarity about the knowledge area to be tested.

• Whether to use simple essay questions or patient

management problem or modified essay type questions.

• Number of small questions rather than only one phrase.

• Question should have a proper flow ,time limit

• Prepare the model marking system with prior discussions with other experts.

• No choice should be given as difficult to construct questions with equal difficulty.

• Avoid the restricted response words like what , when , how instead use compare and contrast , provide argument for

• Let the students know the meaning of the words propose, validate, evaluate , compare

At the end of the session the learner should be able to

Define what is an essay type of question

Identify the features of different types of essay questions

Elaborate on their proper applications and utilization.

Construct and critically review examples of various types of essay questions

summary

• Well written essay questions are good for assessing the higher cognitive functions

• Low reliability

• SAQ provide better content coverage

• Structured LAQ are more valid than the non structured ones.

It requires more skill to design a question ….

than answering it …

THANK YOU….

Presented on

• 10-01-2012/ basic workshop met/jnmc

• 31-03-2012/basic workshop met/jnmc

• 31-03-2012/basic workshop met/ jnmc/nursing college

• 7-07-2012 met basic workshop adilabad