Improving Student Learning and Meeting Program Requirements by Implementing Formative Assessment in Clinical Settings

COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Today’s ObjectivesAt the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize the benefits of using formative assessments to fill instructional gaps in clinical scenarios

2. Use formative assessments to meet clinical objectives each month, thus appropriately

mapping this portion of the curriculum to satisfy accreditation requirements

3. Implement formative assessments in clinical rotations or other offsite learning opportunities


Background Information

• Four-year undergraduate osteopathic medical program 110-120 students per class

• Years 1 and 2 – classroom• Years 3 and 4 – clinical rotations


1. In clinical settings, the student learning experience can be limited to the patients students see

2. Proof of meeting program requirements for accreditation


Our Experience• As an osteopathic school, osteopathic

manipulative medicine (OMM) is part of each of our rotations• How is this implemented?• More importantly…how do we prove we

do this in an easy-to-report manner (while being a meaningful learning experience)?

• Solution: OMM quiz for each rotation each month


• Desire to introduce students to instructional material in addition to patient interactions

• Recognize the need to use assessments (formative and summative) as a vital part of the educational process

• Engage students in necessary material• Students have opportunity to self-assess

• Solutions:• Weekly formative assessments• Rotation summative assessments• Pre/post exams



Faculty/Staff/Student Roles• Faculty

• Quiz content creation• Feedback

• Office of Educational Development (instructional design staff)• Create ExamSoft assessments• Alter rotation rosters• Send results to rotation coordinators

• Students• Complete assessments on their own time (depending on the

clerkship)


• Permanently leave quizzes available for students to download

• Use a single password• One download per student• Rotate students in and out each ExamSoft course roster

to determine when students can download the assessment

• Set reminders!• Have support staff (and extra computers) available for

end of rotation exams• Student passwords will be forgotten…

Helpful Tips


Moving Forward• Continually mapping our rotation assessment

items to the rotation goals and objectives• Complete the curriculum mapping process• Are we appropriately instructing and assessing

students?• Value added?• Student outcomes


Thank you!!• Questions/comments?• [email protected]• @danthompsonidts

mailto:[email protected]

PHONE+1 . 954 . 429 . 8889

EMA ILi n f o@examso f t . c om

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