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An instructor's decision to drop an exam score and to assign a penalty to all class members because no one was willing to identify students who allegedly cheated is described, including how the class members felt about the incident. For the most part, students held the cheaters responsible for their penalties. The instructor received only slightly lower student evaluations, as compared to the 2 other courses she taught that year.

Objective.This study reports on the efficacy of using the anesthesia simulator to teach sedation and analgesia to nurses. This provision of sedation and analgesia to a patient is accomplished with the goal of maintaining the ability of the patient to respond purposefully to auditory ortactile stimuli. Methods.Nurses working in areas of the hospital where conscious sedation is performed were the participants in this sedation and analgesia training course. Prior to the training session, the participants read the American Society of Anesthesiology Practice guidelines for sedation and analgesia by non-anesthesiologists.At the time of the training session, each participant completed a written pretest, had an introduction to sedation and analgesia with four clinical crisis teaching scenarios using the anesthesia simulator, a practical exam using the simulator, and a written post-test. Each participant was also given the opportunity to complete an evaluation of the session. Results.Twenty nurses completed the training session. The written tests had a maximum possible score of 30. Mean score on the written pretest was 22.9 ±3.54, and mean score on the written post-test was 26.0 ± 4.24 (p< 0.001). Seventeen of the twenty subjects scored higher on the post-test. Mean practical exam score was 5.5 of a possible 6.0. Mean participant rating of the education session was 3.75 (1 = poor, 4 =excellent). All but one participant rated the length of the training sessionas “about right.” Conclusions.The anesthesia simulator provides an excellent tool for teaching conscious sedation skills to hospital nurses. The participants' test performance improved following the session, and they also rated the educational experience as excellent.

Most of the literature on neuroanatomy education has focused on its instructional method. Little is known about the retention of acquired knowledge in the basic neurosciences upon graduation from medical school.Twenty-four graduating medical students at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada answered 20 multiple-choice questions from the original first year neuroanatomy midterm examination, 33 months after the original exam date. The course involved 58 instructional hours in the dissecting lab and classroom during the first year of medical school.Relative knowledge loss in this cohort was 60%, and the mean multiple-choice exam score dropped from 82% to 33%. Two students received passing grades on the retest (50% and 55%) and the rest failed.Most graduating medical students were unable to pass a first year exam in the basic neurosciences. Lack of knowledge reinforcement and poor applicability to the clinical setting may be to blame, and suggests that teaching foundational concepts, useful for general practice, are more worthwhile.

Over the years many studies have been done to investigate the determinants of student performance in courses of particular fields of study. However, this is not true of Introduction to Business and Economics Statistics. Our objective is to identify the correlates of student performance both overall, and on individual exams, in an Introduction to Business and Economics Statistics course. A wide variety of variables are found to significantly influence the performance of students, including their grades on previous exams and examination design. Our results indicate that it is important to isolate performance on individual exams.

“Calibration” is an aspect of metacognition that describes how well students assess their own knowledge. One tool that can help to assess student calibration is the knowledge survey (KS). On a KS, students rate their confidence in their ability to answer questions related to course content. A comparison of a student’s confidence level with their actual performance on course exams gives an indication of the student’s metacognitive calibration. We report on a study that explores students’ responses to a KS in introductory physics and chemistry courses serving both STEM and non-STEM populations. In many courses, Delta (the difference between KS-score and final exam score, a measure of calibration) was anti-correlated with final exam performance. No relationship was found between Delta and students’ scientific reasoning abilities. We also report preliminary findings on how calibration differs for questions of a quantitative nature vs. those of a more conceptual nature.

In this paper we describe how we used online discussion forums to complement lecture presentations. We collected data on student usage and surveyed student opinion in several online/blended sections. Our hypothesis is that increased student participation in online discussion forums will increase learner engagement and learning outcomes. Using panel data we estimate a fixed effects model and find active participation in the discussion board has a positive effect on exam score at a statistically significant level.

The curricular integration of the basic sciences and clinical medicine has been conducted for over 40 years and proved to increase medical students’ study interests and clinical reasoning. However, there is still no solid data suggesting what time, freshmen or year 3, is optimal to begin with the integrated curriculum. In this study, the integrated courses on cardiovascular and respiratory systems were performed to part of year 1 and year 3 medical students while non-participant students acted as control. We tried to explore the optimal time through comparison of the exam results and questionnaire of participated students. It was demonstrated that year 3 participant students got better exam score than year 1 students did, and the questionnaire showed that it might be due to the year 1 participants difficultly caught up with the contents of integrated courses without appropriate background knowledge. Three years later, the participant students got higher ability to analytical thinking of clinical diseases in comparison to non-participant students, while it did not improve the acquirement of their clinical practical skills. Taken together, our study in Jinan University School of Medicine indicated that the integrated courses would be approximately effective if combined to conventional medical teaching at year 3 after the students obtain relevant basic sciences knowledge.

The purpose of this study is to introduce the graphic presentation food safety and sanitation learning system with parent participation in element school’s health and physical education curriculum. The students were divided into four groups: control group, control group with parent participation, learning system group, and learning system group with parent participation. There were three extra variables in this study: learning system, and parent participation. The research data (three exams scores) was obtained before the course, in the middle of the course, and at the end of the course. The results indicate that, first, the estimate of slope of learning system is significantly correlated with parent participation; second, male elementary school students and female elementary school students were similar in the growth rate between each time points; third, the relationship between the initial exam score and the following two exam scores were not significant. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the use of learning system and parent participation were helpful for elementary school students to acquire food safety and sanitation knowledge in the health and physical education curriculum.

This chapter describes research using mind maps and the software Mind Manage to improve students’ abilities to solve chemistry problems during a transition period of chemistry instruction in China. Mind maps were first introduced and put into practice in chemistry elective courses by the author in 2005. In the 2008 fall semester, 19 students from the 10th grade started to learn the theory of mind maps and the use of Mind Manager, applying them to the study of solving chemical problems in Nanjing No. 3 High School. The aim was to explore and enhance students’ problem-solving competence. The course adopted the processes of “cognitive reception – imitation practice – self exploration” so as to observe the influence of this new way of thinking on students’ change in regard to solving chemistry problems. Students were prompted to think divergently and comprehensively and to apply multidisciplinary knowledge to solving chemistry problems. The results indicate that students can consciously apply mind maps to solving chemistry problems and showed a variety of representation methods. The students’ ability to solve problems was improved. A significant difference appeared between the control group and the experimental group. The results indicate that mind maps and Mind Manager can effectively improve competence and achievement of students in chemistry.

There is increasing interest in developing student self-regulated learning skills, especially self-monitoring, to improve academic performance.A pilot study to investigate the impact of self-monitoring exercises on calibration accuracy and academic performance in undergraduate medical students on a Biomedical Science (BMS) module.A randomised trial of 51 second-year students comparing a structured workbook with and without self-monitoring exercises.Participants significantly improved calibration accuracy after completing the intervention, as well as increased self-efficacy and greater satisfaction with performance. The intervention group significantly improved their BMS exam score compared with the control group.A relatively simple intervention seems to have the potential to improve self-monitoring skills and academic performance. Further research is recommended to identify if the development of self-monitoring skills by a similar intervention leads to long-term improvement in academic performance, if low-performing students can significantly benefit from a similar intervention and if there is transfer of improved self-monitoring skills from one context to another.

This study examined the incidence and course of apathy in subjects with Huntington's disease (HD). Our results showed that at follow-up 14% of the subjects free of apathy at baseline had developed apathy. In these subjects, a lower baseline Mini-Mental State Exam score predicted incidence of apathy. Of the 34 subjects with apathy at baseline, 14 subjects were no longer apathetic at follow-up. Twenty subjects had persistent apathy, with a low baseline Symbol Digits Modalities Test as the only predictor. These results showed that apathy in HD is most closely linked to global and executive cognitive performance.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to introduce the Problem Based Learning (PBL) module on cystic fibrosis applied in Akdeniz University Medical School, to present the feedbacks of the tutors and the students about the module and to evaluate the student success achieved in the module. Method: The study group consists of all first semester students (n=208) and the tutors in charge of this PBL module (n=21). In order to acquire the feedbacks of the students and tutors on the scenario and the implementation of the PBL module, a questionnaire consisting of six questions was administered to the study group at the final session of the PBL course. Additionally, another questionnaire was administered to the students to determine the opinions of the students about whether the module positively contributed to their present knowledge level. Results: 94.7% of the students (n=197) and 85.7% of the tutors (n=18) responded to the feedback form aimed at receiving the feedbacks on the scenario and implementation of the PBL module. The responses given to this questionnaire showed that the tutors and the students gave identical scores to all the items and there was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups. The average PBL exam score of the students was 112.3 (maximum score=150) and their average course committee examination score was 539.7 (maximum score=850). Conclusion: As a result, it was determined that the feedbacks of the students and tutors about the PBL module on cystic fibrosis, a fatal health problem that has received attention in the recent years, were positive and high student success was achieved with the module.

The teaching quality evaluation is an important part in education evaluations. It is playing a more and more important and positive role in the course of teaching. In order to strengthen management in teaching and to improve the quality and efficiency of teaching, it is necessary to develop the system of evaluation.

The focus of this chapter is to examine the psychological principles of metacognition and identify how second language (L2) educators can increase learners’ awareness of their metacognition. The chapter will present research findings to support the integration of metacognitive strategy awareness training within an L2 curriculum. Training learners to be more cognizant and reflective of how they engage in language learning facilitates the development of learner autonomy.

We investigate business undergraduate mathematics-based courses in a blended environment of online assignments and exams and offline lectures, and report the impact on academic performance of factors such as classroom attendance, web-based course supplements, and homework. We present results from both ordinary least squares and fixed effects, where the latter method controls for unobserved heterogeneity among students. We discuss biases in estimation when the ordinary least squares method is used, resulting from the fact that it ignores unobserved heterogeneity. The fixed effects results suggest that (1) class attendance has a positive impact on exam score, (2) a student who achieves proficiency in a greater number of Khan Academy skill- sets to prepare for an exam takes longer to complete an exam but does not experience a significant change in exam score, (3) a student who spends more time completing the homework spends more time completing the exam but does not experience a significant change in exam score, and (4) students who score relatively higher in homework tend to score relatively higher in exams and finish in less time than other students.

The authors compared younger (< 60 years old; n = 35) and older (≥ 60 years old; n = 33) psychiatric patients in their responses to a questionnaire that dealt with voluntary hospitalization. The younger and older groups both did poorly on the total questionnaire. The older population had significantly more difficulty with the questions regarding obtaining release and access to an attorney but answered as well as the younger group those questions pertaining to the nature of the hospitalization. The Mini-Mental State Exam score, age, and the anxiety/depression and hostility factors of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were the strongest predictors of questionnaire score. The implications of these findings are discussed.

To examine the relationship between National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) rank list position and future otolaryngology residency performance.Cohort study.Eight consecutive residency classes (starting 2001-2008; 4 residents/y) were reviewed. Three hundred and thirty-three applicants (40.6 applicants/y) were interviewed, and 316 (94.9%) were ranked. Residents matching with our program were divided 3 different ways: into quarters, thirds, and halves, based on their rank order. Correlation coefficients were obtained to compare resident rank number and rank group (quarter, third, half) to faculty evaluation, coresident evaluation, and in-service score. Chi-square tests were conducted comparing rank group to chief resident selection and annual teaching award.Resident NRMP rank number was not significantly correlated with faculty evaluation, coresident evaluation, or in-service exam score (-0.21r0.05; P.28). There was also no significant correlation between resident quarter, third, or half rank group and faculty evaluation; coresident evaluation; or in-service exam score (-0.29r0.10; P.13). Chi-square analysis found no relationship between resident rank group and chief resident (P.35) or teaching award (P.13) selection.Applicant rank number and rank group did not correlate with performance of this otolaryngology residency cohort as assessed by faculty evaluation, coresident evaluation, in-service exam score, or selection for chief resident or the annual teaching award. Resident selection committees should consider reallocating manpower hours from creating rank order to recruiting applicants and selecting interview candidates.

Research suggests that optimism feels good. However, does it always feel good? We suggest that the benefits (and costs) of optimism and pessimism depend on their timing. A study of exam score estimates revealed that, after controlling for actual exam performance, optimistic expectations are unrelated to how people feel immediately before feedback, in contrast to the common wisdom that optimism "feels good." Furthermore, optimism has costs after feedback-participants who predicted higher scores before feedback felt worse after learning their scores. Finally, people seem to be aware of the potential costs of optimism-participants who predicted higher scores before feedback also anticipated experiencing greater disappointment should they perform poorly. These findings suggest that people may proactively manage their expectations to avoid the costs of optimism.

Naming is a fundamental aspect of language and is virtually always assessed with visual confrontation tests. Tests of the ability to name objects by their characteristic sounds would be particularly useful in the assessment of visually impaired patients, and may be particularly sensitive in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We developed an auditory naming task, requiring the identification of the source of environmental sounds (i.e., animal calls, musical instruments, vehicles) and multiple-choice recognition of those not identified. In two separate studies mild-to-moderate AD patients performed more poorly than cognitively normal elderly on the auditory naming task. This task was also more difficult than two versions of a comparable visual naming task, and correlated more highly with Mini-Mental State Exam score. Internal consistency reliability was acceptable, although ROC analysis revealed auditory naming to be slightly less successful than visual confrontation naming in discriminating AD patients from normal participants. Nonetheless, our auditory naming task may prove useful in research and clinical practice, especially with visually impaired patients.

Previous research has examined the factors affecting student learning and academic performance, including attendance, prior GPA, and college entrance exam scores. This study seeks to expand the literature with a data set for introductory macroeconomics classes at a public liberal art college. Unlike many previous studies, a complete record of the students’ attendance is utilized to determine the impact of this variable on class performance, as measured by the average exam score. Moreover, an important new variable is introduced to determine the role of class scheduling on student performance: the distribution of class time per week. Linear regression models yield anticipated directional results, with six of nine selected variables yielding statistically significant results and 57.23% of the variation in exam scores explained by the selected variables.

The Andes physics tutoring system is an experiment in student freedom. It allows students to solve a physics problem in virtually any legal way. This means that Andes must recognize an extremely large number of possible steps occurring in an extraordinarily large number of possible orders. Such freedom raises several research questions. (1) How can Andes solve the technical challenge of understanding student’s behavior in such a wide-open context? (2) How can Andes give pedagogically useful help and guidance? In particular, how can it guide students who are floundering without curtailing the freedom of students who are not floundering? (3) Will Andes be effective in getting students in real classrooms to learn physics? (4) What does it take to scale up Andes and disseminate it widely? The Andes project, which began in the mid 1990’s, has achieved workable solutions to the first three goals: Andes can understand student behavior; It provides pedagogical help similar to that of human experts; Most importantly, Andes causes large, reliable learning gains compared to control classes taught with convention, paper-based instruction. This chapter summarizes the first three results and discusses our progress on the fourth goal, scale-up.

Poor attendance, low student interest, and inadequate faculty-student communication are a few of the problems faced by instructors of large introductory-geology classes. I present a simple method for enhancing the quality of these large sections. Students submit one three-by-five card (a “notecard”) on a particular day of the week. The card contains the student's name and one of three items: a topic from lecture or laboratory that she/he did not understand, a concept from the assigned reading that she/he did not understand, or a potential exam question. Participation is optional, but I encourage it by adding one point per submitted notecard to the student's lowest exam score. I review all notecards outside of class and then address a selected “problem topic” at the beginning of the next class meeting. I incorporate suitable test questions into exams, where they are identified as student questions. The use of notecards in introductory classes encourages weekly review of class materials by students, improve...

Medical schools have reduced the time allotted to anatomy instruction. Consequently, schools engage students in more independent settings using information and communication technologies (ICT). There has been limited research in the use of video aids, a type of ICT, to enhance anatomy examination performance. The objective of this study is to describe the design, usage, and effect on examination performance of eight locally developed instructional anatomy videos. First-year UCSF medical students (n = 141) had access to the videos. They reported their video usage, reason for usage, and satisfaction. The prior year students (n = 141) served as a historical control group. Anatomy and radiology examination performance was compared between groups while controlling for prior performance. The students with and without access to the videos did not differ in examination performance. Sixty-one (43%) students in the experimental group responded to the survey. Of these, 79% reported using at least one video, viewing an average of 4.75 of the eight videos. They watched 3.27 (SD = 1.57, range 1–5) of the five anatomy videos and 1.48 (SD = 1.35; range 0–3) of the three radiology videos. In a regression analysis controlling for age and MCAT scores, using the anatomy videos at least once improved anatomy examination performance by 3.4% (P-value = 0.007). There was no relationship between radiology video usage and radiology exam score. Video resource availability did not enhance student performance in anatomy and radiology. However, when analyzing performance for those whom we knew level of video use, there was a statistically different and higher anatomy achievement. Anat Sci Ed, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.

The records of 361 Standardbred mares and their 1986 or 1987 foals were evaluated to identify factors associated with failure of passive transfer (FPT) of colostral antibodies in equine neonates. Sixty-five foals (18%) were classified as FPT based on a serum immunoglobulin concentration of less than 400 mg/dl at 24 to 36 hours of age, determined by the glutaraldehyde coagulation test. The potential association of mare- and foal-related factors with FPT were assessed by reviewing a series of multiple logistic regression models. The season in which the mare foaled and foal exam score, a subjective assessment of foal vigor, maturity, and general health, were the primary factors associated with the development of FPT. Foals with FPT were more likely (odds ratio = 3.50; 95% confidence interval = 1.81-6.68) than normal foals to require medical therapy during the first 3 months after parturition.

Web-based learning provides an effective adjunct to clinical experience in medical education. However, few efforts have assessed learner satisfaction with web-based medical education experiences. American Burn Association and Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS)-Now is a self-directed web-based curriculum designed to teach clinicians how to assess and stabilize patients with serious burns during the critical hours after injury. The purpose of this study is to evaluate time spent by learners taking the course, to demonstrate successful completion of an exam by these clinicians after the course, and to describe learner satisfaction with ABLS-Now. This preliminary descriptive study analyzed exam scores and voluntary course evaluations of medical students and interns to assess effectiveness of and satisfaction with the web-based ABLS-Now curriculum. Eighteen students and interns completed the web-based ABLS-Now curriculum and follow-up survey. The mean exam score was 88%. Learner scores strongly correlated with time spent completing the course (r2 = .66, P = .01). Learner satisfaction was very high. Learners expressed an interest in using similar web-based tools to learn about other topics in surgery. For novice clinicians, ABLS-Now seems to be an effective way to provide basic burn care education at a time when other educational opportunities have been reduced by work hour restrictions. Learners found the modules easy to use, relevant, and interesting. They indicated an interest in future use of web-based learning to supplement clinical experiences. Web-based learning represents an effective and well-received addition to clinical education in surgery for residents and medical students.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of various unenhanced head CT protocols and predicate acceptable radiation dose level for head CT exam. Methods: Our retrospective analysis included 3 groups, 20 patients per group, who underwent clinical routine unenhanced adult head CT examination. All exams were performed axially with 120 kVp. Three protocols, 380 mAs without iterative reconstruction and automAs, 340 mAs with iterative reconstruction without automAs, 340 mAs with iterative reconstruction and automAs, were applied on each group patients respectively. The images were reconstructed with H30, J30 for brain window and H60, J70 for bone window. Images acquired with three protocols were randomized and blindly reviewed by three radiologists. A 5 point scale was used to rate each exam The percentage of exam score above 3 and average scores of each protocol were calculated for each reviewer and tissue types. Results: For protocols without automAs, the average scores of bone window with iterative reconstruction were higher than those without iterative reconstruction for each reviewer although the radiation dose was 10 percentage lower. 100 percentage exams were scored 3 or higher and the average scores were above 4 for both brain and bone reconstructions. The CTDIvols are 64.4 and 57.8 mGymore » of 380 and 340 mAs, respectively. With automAs, the radiation dose varied with head size, resulting in 47.5 mGy average CTDIvol between 39.5 and 56.5 mGy. 93 and 98 percentage exams were scored great than 3 for brain and bone windows, respectively. The diagnostic confidence level and image quality of exams with AutomAs were less than those without AutomAs for each reviewer. Conclusion: According to these results, the mAs was reduced to 300 with automAs OFF for head CT exam. The radiation dose was 20 percentage lower than the original protocol and the CTDIvol was reduced to 51.2 mGy.« less

Conventionally, weather products utilized in synoptic meteorology reduce phenomena occurring in four dimensions to a 2-dimensional form. This constitutes a road-block for non-atmospheric-science majors who need to take meteorology as a non-mathematical and complementary course to their major programs. This research examines the use of Integrated Data Viewer-IDV as a teaching tool, as it allows a 4-dimensional representation of weather products. IDV was tested in the teaching of synoptic meteorology, weather analysis, and weather map interpretation to non-science students in the laboratory sessions of an introductory meteorology class at Western Michigan University. Comparison of student exam scores according to the laboratory teaching techniques, i.e., traditional lab manual and IDV was performed for short- and long-term learning. Results of the statistical analysis show that the Fall 2004 students in the IDV-based lab session retained learning. However, in the Spring 2005 the exam scores did not reflect retention in learning when compared with IDV-based and MANUAL-based lab scores (short term learning, i.e., exam taken one week after the lab exercise). Testing the long-term learning, seven weeks between the two exams in the Spring 2005, show no statistically significant difference between IDV-based group scores and MANUAL-based group scores. However, the IDV group obtained exam score average slightly higher than the MANUAL group. Statistical testing of the principal hypothesis in this study, leads to the conclusion that the IDV-based method did not prove to be a better teaching tool than the traditional paper-based method. Future studies could potentially find significant differences in the effectiveness of both manual and IDV methods if the conditions had been more controlled. That is, students in the control group should not be exposed to the weather analysis using IDV during lecture.

The study reported here was a secondary analysis of data on 157 males from a larger study of predictors of memory performance in community-dwelling elders. The males' average age was 76 years, with 13 years of education and a Mini-Mental State Exam score of 26. Measures included depression, memory performance, metamemory, and memory self-efficacy. An unusual finding was the multimodal distribution of memory self-efficacy strength scores. Using a median split, the sample was divided into low and high memory self-efficacy groups. The high efficacy group were significantly younger, had larger scores on capacity (+ = high capacity) and change (+ = greater stability). These findings provide new evidence that the memory self-efficacy of aging males influences their perceptions of cognitive performance related to memory.

PURPOSE To determine the prognosis of failing a clerkship final examination. METHOD From 1994-99, 48 students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (6%) failed the end-of-clerkship National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) subject exam, but otherwise had acceptable medicine clerkship performances. All of these students were retested after self-directed study; those who failed the retest were prescribed fourth-year medicine before a second retest. The authors compared median NBME subject exam scores and number of weeks of self-directed study time from the initial exam to the retest for those who passed and those who failed the retest. RESULTS 40 students (83%) passed and eight students (17%) failed the first retest. There was no difference between the initial median NBME score (303 versus 295, p = ns) or length of self-directed study time (25 weeks versus 18 weeks, p = ns) between those who passed and failed the retest, respectively. After fourth-year medicine, all eight students passed the second retest of the subject exam. Four of the 48 students failed USMLE Step 2. Compared with those who passed Step 2, these four students had a similar median initial NBME subject exam score (293 versus 291, p = ns), but had a lower median retest exam score (354 versus 405, p = ns). CONCLUSIONS It appears reasonable to allow students with isolated knowledge deficiencies one attempt to retake a failed clerkship exam following a period of self-directed study. Confirmatory studies are needed.

Before considering the correlation and regression statistics, we will look at some of the ‘logic’ behind what is generally known as ‘general linear modelling’. The basic idea behind general linear modelling, which includes both correlation and regression, is that you can depict the relationship between two quantitative variables (whose codes are numbers representing true numeric values; interval or ratio variables) by ‘drawing’ straight lines.

The researcher designed a quasi-experiment at a public university to evaluate how problem-based learning, prior ability and demographic factors influenced student scores on the standardised exam major field test for business. The participants were 135 senior students graduating from a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration programme. Descriptive statistics, validity tests, correlation, chi square goodness of fit, best subsets regression, general linear model regression, and analysis of covariance were applied to test the hypotheses that SAT, GPA, gender and pedagogy influenced exam score. A new finding was that applying problem-based learning improved standardised exam scores.

This is a longitudinal study, tracing student FAA written exam test scores in a collegiate environment. The exams surveyed were administered in the War Eagle CATS testing center located at Auburn University from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2000. The purpose of the study was to test the significance of ground schools offered at Auburn University on FAA written exam test scores. In addition, it examined the difference on test scores of Auburn students versus non-Auburn University students. The independent variable was set as the group corresponding to each FAA test ground school. The dependent variable was student performance based on each corresponding FAA written exam score. Statistical analysis revealed that there is no significance on the impact of the independent to the dependent variable, or the impact of ground schools on FAA written test performance is not significant.

In the previous topic you explored important numerical measures of the center of a distribution. In this topic you will investigate similar numerical measures of a distribution’s variability. These measures will also lead you to dis¬cover another visual display (the boxplot) and a very important technique (standardization) which will appear throughout the text.

To this point you have been investigating and analyzing distributions of a single variable. This topic introduces you to another topic that plays an important role in statistics: exploring relationships between variables. You will investigate the concept of association and explore the use of graphical displays (namely, scatterplots) as you begin to study relationships between variables.

Over the last seven years an OSCE was used to measure candidates’ clinical competency in sports medicine. The successful candidates were awarded a diploma by the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine (CASM). Although the exam scores were highly reliable (0.83–0.95) and enjoyed high face validity, there was a need to demonstrate evidence of its construct validity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of OSCE scores and expertise in the field. Information on background and type of clinical practise was gathered on 214 candidates who received their diplomas from 1989–95. This information was used to rank candidates on a scale of one to five reflecting expertise in the field. A 5 × 5 table was constructed to show the relationship between expertise and OSCE scores. The analysis of this data showed a significant, positive relationship between OSCE scores and expertise. This study provided evidence of the construct validity of the OSCE scores.

A 20-station OSCE was used to evaluate 25 candidates for a Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine diploma. The examination has been used to assess candidates’ clinical competence for the last seven years. Each year the examination was found to produce highly reliable scores (0.83–0.95) and clinical competence was based on an overall exam score of 65%. Over the years the examining board observed that a few candidates had passed the exam based on their total score but had done poorly on one or two typical, common clinical problems. In 1995, the board identified five critical stations and assigned each a minimal score of 50%. They decided that any candidate who failed one of these critical stations would fail to receive a diploma in Sport Medicine. Two observers were assigned to these stations to ensure reliable critical station scores. The analysis of the data indicated that the inter-observer reliability for the five critical stations was high. No candidate failed the exam because of their poor performance on critical station J (lowest interobserver correlate of 0.70). In total, seven candidates failed to pass the 1995 exam (3 based on the overall MPL of 65% plus 4 additional candidates who failed to pass one or more critical stations). The merits of using critical cases to determine compe-tency in a “high stakes ” OSCE is discussed.

Rationale and Objectives Radiology has been an increasingly important component of preclinical anatomy instruction since the 1960s. The global status of medical imaging pedagogies and radiologists' roles in medical anatomy education is not well established but is important in determining the specialty's contribution to undergraduate medical education. Materials and Methods PubMed was searched with various combinations of MeSH terms including “radiology,” “undergraduate medical education,” and “anatomy.” Articles were reviewed for relevance, and referenced articles of possible relevance were hand-traced to ensure a wide capture of articles. Results Although more medical schools around the world are using medical imaging to teach anatomy, some regions, such as the United States, show a decline in the proportion of imaging taught by radiologists. Lectures, small group discussions, and self-instruction remain the mainstay of current pedagogies and have witnessed dramatic changes over the past few decades with respect to the types of imaging used. Newer pedagogies use contextual and hands-on experiences to improve spatial and application principles. Qualitative and quantitative studies report somewhat mixed results of pedagogical efficacies but demonstrate generally high acceptance by students and instructors and often significant exam score improvement. Radiology as a specialty must overcome several challenges for it to become more involved in anatomy education, including teaching incentives and protected academic time. Conclusions As anatomy instruction and clinical medicine grow increasingly digital, it is ever more important that radiologists continue to develop new anatomy pedagogies and contribute to anatomy education in greater roles.

Our purpose was to determine whether the sequence of rotation disciplines taken can effect medical student examination scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Exam score for obstetrics and gynecology.A retrospective study was conducted of 439 student files for the academic years 1987 through 1991. The final clerkship grades and subject examination scores for internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology were reviewed.It was determined that completion of internal medicine or surgery before obstetrics and gynecology yielded higher scores in obstetrics and gynecology (p0.00001), with the largest improvement (from 533 to 586) observed when obstetrics and gynecology followed the internal medicine rotation.The sequence of rotation can affect scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination in obstetrics and gynecology. The largest improvement in student scores was observed when obstetrics and gynecology followed the internal medicine or surgery clerkships.

PURPOSE: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) can be defined as medical practices not taught widely at US medical schools or generally available at US hospitals. National studies suggest that between 30–40% of the general US population use CAM. These users tend to be more educated, have higher incomes, and are more likely to be between the ages of 30–49. However, to date, no study has documented the use of CAM among the homebound population, patients who are usually elderly, debilitated, and have less access to medical care. We studied the use of alternative therapies in homebound patients of the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program serving the inner city of New York. METHODS: Eligibility for the study was limited to patients who are in the Visiting Doctors Program, and whose mini-mental status exam score was greater than 20 or who were deemed competent to complete the survey by their primary care provider. Participant's CAM use was assessed by a survey administered by an interviewer at the patient's home. RESULTS: Forty-nine consecutive, eligible patients were interviewed and a survey completed. Among the respondents, 84% were women, the mean age was 78.6 (STD = 14.1). Respondents were 51% Caucasian, 27% African-American, 14% Hispanic and 8% other. On rating their own health, 69% rated it as poor to fair, 22% rated it as good, and 8% rated it as very good to excellent. Sixty-nine percent of the respondents reported using one or more CAM in the past 12 months. Commonly used CAM included: vitamins/minerals (33%) [excluding MVI, calcium], spiritual healing (27%), and herbal remedies (20%). Spiritual healing included prayer and faith healing. The most common herbal remedies were garlic, ginger, and chamomile tea. Among CAM users, their main sources of information about CAM came from their own physicians (32%), family/friends/co-workers (18%), and newspaper/radio/TV (18%). CONCLUSION: The use of CAM in this elderly, debilitated, homebound population was significantly higher than that of the general population. It is especially important for physicians who care for homebound patients to be aware of and discuss the use of CAM. Clinicians can then better understand any potential associated health consequences and help their patients make informed decisions about their CAM use.

The axiom of human nature alluded to by Stigler has led the demise of most cartel arrangements. It is well known that each cartel member has a tremendous incentive to cheat on production limits to maximize profits. However, if each member exceeds production limits, the price must fall and the cartel collapses. Much of what economists teach about cartels can be illustrated with a simple example familiar to all students-the curve on their midterm exam score. The purpose of this article is to illustrate several points about cartel behavior with the example of the curve on an exam.

The effect of using a P.S.I. approach to teach college mathematics, the role of a final examination and the use of students as tutors in such procedures was investigated. Students were assigned to a mastery approach which used students as proctors, to a mastery approach without students as proctors, or to a lecture control group. Within each group students were randomly assigned to have their final exam score count or not count towards their grade in the course. Scores on the final were not significantly different for those in the three treatment groups. Students for whom the final counted had significantly higher scores on the final and reported studying more than did their controls. No advantages whatsoever to serving as a proctor were found. No differences dependent upon treatment were found in those who dropped out, but those in the P.S.I. groups who completed the course had lower pretest scores than those in the control group who finished the course.

Eight factors were studied to determine their relationship to success in a beginning computer science course. Significant correlations were found between the final exam score and the following factors: reading comprehension, sequence completion, logical reasoning, and algorithmic execution. In addition, a stepwise multiple regression procedure was performed to determine the most important factors in predicting success in a beginning computer science course. When all eight factors were included, approximately 25% of the variability in the final exam scores was explained.

The rapid proliferation of courses based on Keller's Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) calls for a prompt evaluation of the relative costs involved in PSI and more traditional forms of college instruction. To determine the cost in student time required by a course taught with PSI relative to lecture, students did their studying in a special Study Center where course materials could be used but not removed. Students in the PSI section spent an average of about 50% more time in the Study Center (46 hr) than did students in the lecture section (30 hr), but that difference was made up by the lecture students spending an average of 20 hr attending lectures. Thus, total preparation time was about the same. PSI students scored slightly higher on common course exams, and while college entrance exam scores correlated highly with course exam scores, Study Center time was reliably related to course exam score only for PSI students. An analysis of the study records of individual students revealed that PSI produced fairly regular patterns of study by all students, while lecture students varied greatly in their patterns.

The relative effect of each informational dimension in an information integration task is a joint function of its weight and the range of values over which it is varied. A method is developed for separating these two factors. Weights obtained by this method were compared across variations of stimulus range. Subjects rated the performance of students on the basis of midterm exam scores and final exam scores. For some subjects, the range of scores on the final exam was twice that on the midterm and the reverse was true for other subjects. An averaging model was shown to describe the results, and weights did not differ for different stimulus ranges. This was true for each of two instructional conditions: one in which a particular weighting strategy was prescribed and one in which there was no prescribed weighting. Students who were instructed to use a 2∶1 weighting were found to assign more than twice as much weight to the final as to the midterm.

In this paper, we implemented an approach to predict final exam scores from early course assessments of the students during the semester. We used a linear regression model to check which part of the evaluation of the course assessment affects final exam score the most. In addition, we explained the origins of data mining and data mining in education. After preprocessing and preparing data for the task in hand, we implemented the linear regression model. The results of our work show that quizzes are most accurate predictors of final exam scores compared to other kinds of assessments.

Introductory psychology students took their own pulses during a normal lecture class and during four exams. There was no systematic relationship between absolute pulse rate and exam scores. However, consistently high correlations were found between pulse-rate change scores and test performance: The greater the increase in pulse rate, the lower the exam score.