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Introduction: Hospital infections are one of the most common health problems which can be controled by education. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two e-learning methods (problem solving and examination of question) on awareness; Attitude and performance of Islamic Azad University–Maybod branch nursing and midwifery students regarding hospital infection control in 2022. Methods: The current study was a semi experimental in which 36 Islamic Azad University–Maybod branch nursing and midwifery students were randomly Probability Proportional to Size assigned to intervention(problem solving, examination question) and control groups (N=12) based on the entry and exit criteria using probability proportional to size method. Education based on hospital infections booklet was assigned. Before and after the intervention, students’ knowledge, attitude and performance scores were evaluated using a standared questionnaire (alpha=0/82). The distribution of quantitative variables was done using the Kolmograph Smirnov test and parametric statistical tests (t_test/pair t_test/one way anova t test) considering the significance level of 0.05. Results: Comparing the scores of awareness (p=0.993), attitude (p=0.997) and performance (p=0.998) in the intervention groups; there is no significant difference and it means the same effect of two educational methods. Teaching two methods of problem solving – question and answer has no effect on improving students’ short-term attitude (p=0.172) and improving long-term performance scores (p=0.075). The effect of education in the two ways mentioned on improving awareness; Long-term attitude and short-term performance were significant (p

Introduction: Hospital infections are one of the most common health problems which can be controled by education. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two e-learning methods (problem solving and examination of question) on awareness; Attitude and performance of Islamic Azad University–Maybod branch nursing and midwifery students regarding hospital infection control in 2022. Methods: The current study was a semi experimental in which 36 Islamic Azad University–Maybod branch nursing and midwifery students were randomly Probability Proportional to Size assigned to intervention(problem solving, examination question) and control groups (N=12) based on the entry and exit criteria using probability proportional to size method. Education based on hospital infections booklet was assigned. Before and after the intervention, students’ knowledge, attitude and performance scores were evaluated using a standared questionnaire (alpha=0/82). The distribution of quantitative variables was done using the Kolmograph Smirnov test and parametric statistical tests (t_test/pair t_test/one way anova t test) considering the significance level of 0.05. Results: Comparing the scores of awareness (p=0.993), attitude (p=0.997) and performance (p=0.998) in the intervention groups; there is no significant difference and it means the same effect of two educational methods. Teaching two methods of problem solving – question and answer has no effect on improving students’ short-term attitude (p=0.172) and improving long-term performance scores (p=0.075). The effect of education in the two ways mentioned on improving awareness; Long-term attitude and short-term performance were significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: e-learning in two ways of problem solving-examination question in increasing the average scores of knowledge; Attitude and performance have been equally effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outcome of assessments is determined by the standard‐setting method used. Standard setting is the process of deciding what is good enough. A cutoff score of 50% was commonly used in dental schools in Malaysia. This study aims to compare the conventional, norm‐referenced, and modified‐Angoff standard‐setting methods. Methods: The norm‐referenced method of standard setting was applied to the real scores of 40 final‐year dental students on a multiple‐choice question (MCQ), a short answer question (SAQ), and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). A panel of 10 judges set the standard using the modified‐Angoff method for the same paper in one sitting. One judge set the passing score of 10 OSCE questions after 2 weeks. A comparison of the grades and pass/fail rates derived from the absolute standard, norm‐referenced, and modified‐Angoff methods was made. The intra‐rater and inter‐rater reliabilities of the modified‐Angoff method were assessed. Results: The passing rate for the absolute standard was 100% (40/40), for the norm‐referenced method it was 62.5% (25/40), and for the modified‐Angoff method it was 80% (32/40). The modified‐Angoff method had good inter‐rater reliability of 0.876 and excellent test–retest reliability of 0.941. Conclusion: There were significant differences in the outcomes of these three standard‐setting methods, as shown by the difference in the proportion of candidates who passed and failed the assessment. The modified‐Angoff method was found to have good reliability for use with a professional qualifying dental examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The evaluation of knowledge is an important step in the teachers’ work, because it is fundamental that the evaluation results be valid and reliable. Several faculty development programs have been undertaken to improve teachers’ skills on item writing. Few studies, however, have explored the benefits of providing feedback to multiple-choice item writers. Progress Testing is a longitudinal assessment of students’ knowledge gain. Their results are useful for generating feedback to students, teachers and medical school managers. The aim of this report is to present a successful experience of faculty development on high-quality item writing for Progress Testing through feedback about the fate of the items written by faculty members. Annually, faculties from medical schools participating in a consortium for the application of the Progress Test are asked to formulate new items to compose the test version. However, the fate of the items is not known by their authors, that is, they do not know if the items are incorporated into the test, if the items have good quality, what is the students’ performance in each of the items, and what is the psychometric function of the items. In 2017, one of the schools participating in the consortium offered its item authors a feedback regarding the flaws in item writing, modification of items by the review committee and students’ performance, as well as psychometric function in each item. The percentage of flawed item (items without enough quality to be selected for the test) was more than 30%. There was an inverse relation between the number of flawed item and the number of items included in the final exam, when analyzing the different content areas of the test (that is, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Public Health, and Basic Sciences). In the following year, we observed a decrease in the number of flawed item (less than 10%) and an increase in the number of eligible items to be selected for the Progress Testing. Therefore, giving feedback to item writers seems to be a good strategy for developing the faculty’s ability on writing good quality items.

Public contest is one of the best ways for health professionals to enter the Family Health Strategy (FHS) and other public health services. The objective of this study was to verify the profile of Dentistry public examinations in the southeast region, as well as to analyze the coherence between the proposal of FHS and the content on the professionals selection for this position. The examinations were retrieved by means of research of the sites: PCI Concursos and Folha Dirigida and sites of companies of greater representativeness in the competitive bidding in the states of the southeast region. From the entire southeastern region, 266 competitive examinations were obtained for the position of dental surgeon, from 2001 to 2017. For the data analysis, three categories were created: QG, for the questions that included the general questions present in the tests; QT, individual technical questions that balance the requirements related to specific knowledge; and QC, corresponding to the questions related to collective character. In all the tests analyzed, the specific knowledge (QC and QT) had a higher prevalence among the contents charged. Among the areas that involved the individual technical questions, the subjects of Surgery, Dentistry, Stomatology and Pathology were the ones with the highest prevalence. Through the results, it can be seen that the public examinations for dental surgeons who want to work in the FHS in the states of the southeast region, most of them deal with knowledge of clinical dentistry specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of multiple choice question (MCQ) items in two postgraduate paediatric dentistry (PD) examinations by determining item writing flaws (IWFs), difficulty index (DI) and cognitive level. Methods: This study was conducted at Mohamed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE. Virtual platform-based summative versions of the general paediatric medicine (GPM) and prevention of oral diseases (POD) examinations administered during the second semester of the 2017--2018 academic year were used. Two PD faculty members independently reviewed each question to assess IWFs, DI and cognitive level. Results: A total of 185 single best answer MCQs with 4-5 options were analysed. Most of the questions (81%) required information recall, with the remainder (19%) requiring higher levels of thinking and data explanation. The most common errors among IWFs were the use of "except" or "not" in the lead-in, tricky or unfocussed stems and opportunities for students to use convergence strategies. There were more IWFs in the GPM than the POD examination, but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.105). The MCQs in the GPM and POD examination were considered easy since the mean DIs (89.1% ± 8.9% and 76.5% ± 7.9%, respectively) were more than 70%. Conclusion: Training is an essential element of adequate MCQ writing. A general comprehensive review of all programme's MCQs is needed to emphasise the importance of avoiding IWFs. A faculty development programme is recommended to improve question-writing skills in order to align examinations with programme learning outcomes and enhance the ability to measure student competency through questions requiring higher level thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using simulation in high-stakes assessments has been evolving as a method to improve the assessment process. There is a concurrent need to address challenges and establish best practices to ensure the best quality when implementing high-stakes evaluations. The aim of this study is to provide an insight for stakeholders about using multiple modalities of simulation in high-stakes evaluations by presenting challenges, best practices, and future directions described in the relevant literature. A scoping review of original studies (from the year 1994–2021) including the use of common modalities (standardized patients, high-fidelity mannequins, part-task trainers, virtual simulation, and hybrid simulation) was conducted. The search covered the common databases: PubMed, Education Resource Information Center, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane library. Initial screening in the databases resulted in 111,253 articles. After the application of a refining search strategy, 47 articles were included for comprehensive evaluation. Most articles were about credentialing/licensure purposes of assessment. Many articles were specialty-specific, especially focusing on anesthesia. Most challenges described were related to the validity of the assessment that should be considered in the planning phase. Best practices were mostly related to planning for measures to assure the validity of the assessment tools and process. The use of multimodality simulation for high-stakes assessment is growing despite challenges; this growth is associated with the accumulation of experience shared in literature. This growth will help to improve planning, practices, and goals achievement from such an application.

Using simulation in high-stakes assessments has been evolving as a method to improve the assessment process. There is a concurrent need to address challenges and establish best practices to ensure the best quality when implementing high-stakes evaluations. The aim of this study is to provide an insight for stakeholders about using multiple modalities of simulation in high-stakes evaluations by presenting challenges, best practices, and future directions described in the relevant literature. A scoping review of original studies (from the year 1994-2021) including the use of common modalities (standardized patients, high-fidelity mannequins, part-task trainers, virtual simulation, and hybrid simulation) was conducted. The search covered the common databases: PubMed, Education Resource Information Center, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane library. Initial screening in the databases resulted in 111,253 articles. After the application of a refining search strategy, 47 articles were included for comprehensive evaluation. Most articles were about credentialing/licensure purposes of assessment. Many articles were specialty-specific, especially focusing on anesthesia. Most challenges described were related to the validity of the assessment that should be considered in the planning phase. Best practices were mostly related to planning for measures to assure the validity of the assessment tools and process. The use of multimodality simulation for high-stakes assessment is growing despite challenges; this growth is associated with the accumulation of experience shared in literature. This growth will help to improve planning, practices, and goals achievement from such an application., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)