The 3-D Skills Model: a Randomised Controlled Pilot Study Comparing a Novel 1–1 Near-Peer Teaching Model to a Formative OSCE with Self-regulated Practice

Introduction Near-peer teaching is a popular pedagogical teaching tool, with well-recognised benefits for students and tutors. There are multiple existing models to structure these interventions, but it is often unclear how they translate to academic attainment. We designed a novel near-peer teaching model that expands on previous research. Methods Our model was piloted in a formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) setting, trialled on 22 pre-clinical medical students to establish feasibility, acceptability and descriptive outcomes that could inform the design of a larger study. Students were randomly assigned to intervention or control cohorts. Each cohort undertook 5 min formative OSCE assessments with either 3 additional minutes of structured teaching or 3 min of self-regulated practice before reattempting the first OSCE station. Checklist marking sheets for 1st and 2nd sittings were collected by independent external markers, in addition to a global assessment rating in which we used the Borderline Regression Method to establish the station pass mark. Results A quantitative and qualitative result analysis was performed, demonstrating that students gained on average 3 additional marks after teaching with this model. Students and student-tutors reported increased confidence, high course satisfaction and evidence of reflective practice. Discussion We established acceptability and feasibility outcomes. The descriptive outcomes will support the design of a larger, adequately powered study required to demonstrate translation to summative exam performance.

Effectiveness of structured handouts lectures and oral discussion on the performance of science students in the basic biochemistry course

<p>The aim of this article was to investigate the effect of structured handouts lectures and oral discussions on the academic performance of biochemistry students. The biochemistry course of science Bachelor students was implemented through structured handouts lectures using the lecturer and the mobile as information sources , oral discussions and practical sessions. The opinion of the students about the instruction methods was investigated through a questionnaire. The academic performance of the students was compared to the performance of a previous student batch who studied the course through traditional lectures and practical sessions only. The obtained results were analyzed using the SPSS program and the t-test percent. According to the university regulations the pass mark was set as 60. 85.9% was the percentage of pass students who studied the course through the structured handouts , oral discussion and practical session while the percentage of the pass students who studied the course through traditional lectures and practical sessions was 78.8%. However, the difference between the two percentages was insignificant (p- value= 0.25). The questionnaire analysis showed that 63.2% of the students believed that the structured handouts lectures and the oral discussions were excellent and 79.4% of the students advised the course coordinator to adopt this teaching method for the future batches.<b> </b>structured handouts lectures and oral discussions improved the performance of biochemistry students and they advised to adopt the method for future batches of biochemistry. </p>

P22 Developing a pharmacology module for the paediatric non-medical prescribing course

IntroductionDemand from local NHS stakeholders identified a gap for a taught education course tailored to the niche requirements of paediatric healthcare staff wishing to become non-medical prescribers. This was seen as an excellent opportunity to review and develop the pharmacology module within the Non-medical Prescribing (NMP) course by giving it a paediatric focus.AimTo develop a pharmacology module with an emphasis on paediatric prescribing that meets the professional requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).MethodKnowledge of curriculum design and structure was utilised in developing the paediatric pharmacology module. This ensured that the underpinning theory of prescribing medicines safely for children was delivered at the right academic level. The content, delivery and learning outcomes were dictated by the Prescribing Competency Framework for All Prescribers (RPS, 2016).1 But the cognitive teaching and learning methods arose from the rigid expectation to meet the regulatory requirements of each professional body. To ensure consistency across the whole NMP programme, the structure of the pharmacology module assessments (both formative and summative) was kept the same. The summative (final) assessments consisted of a multiple choice question (MCQ) paper requiring the students to answer a total of twenty MCQs, with the pass mark set by the regulatory bodies at 80%; a drug calculations paper consisting of five questions with a 100% pass mark; and a 5 minute information giving OSCE (objective structured clinical examination). The whole module was looked at a fresh from a paediatric perspective. The content and timetable were compiled and reviewed jointly by a paediatric pharmacist and a paediatric nurse. Both were experienced academics already teaching on the NMP course. While some of the lectures were delivered by in-house university academic staff, the majority of the sessions were delivered by specialist paediatric guest lecturers who were actively working in their respective clinical fields. This ensured that the knowledge imparted to students was practical, current and relevant to prescribing for children.ResultsAll students had to be practising in paediatrics for a minimum period of two years and have evidence of studying at level 6 (graduate level) or equivalent. The target audience consisted of allied healthcare professionals specialising in paediatrics, including nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, dieticians and therapeutic radiographers. However, the first cohort of 51 students comprised entirely of paediatric nurses. The majority of students passed each assessment first time. All students passed the 5-minute information giving OSCE, but 25% of the students had to re-sit the pharmacology MCQ paper and 17% had to re-sit the drug calculations paper. Following the resits the remaining students all passed except for one student who failed the course.ConclusionOverall, the course was well received, with positive feedback from most students and stakeholders. Valuable suggestions were also received for further improvements to the course and pharmacology module. These are currently being implemented with intake of students.ReferenceRoyal Pharmaceutical Society ( 2016) A competency framework for all prescribers. Available from: http://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%20document%20library/Open%20access/Professional%20standards/Prescribing%20competency%20framework/prescribing-competency-framework.pdf [Accessed 25/6/19]

“Is There a “Best” Method for Standard Setting in OSCE Exams? Comparison between Four Methods (A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study)

Background: One of the essential considerations while designing an OSCE exam is “standard-setting”, which refers to the score with which a student could be considered to pass or fail an exam. The selection of proper standard-setting method is based on different criteria, including the applicability of the method, the university bylaws, and the purpose of the test. Objectives: To examine the difference between four different standard-setting methods: the modified Cohen’s, borderline regression, Hofstee methods, and the fixed 60% arbitrary method in determining the passing score in ophthalmology OSCE exam. Methods: Two periodic ophthalmology OSCE were selected to examine the differences in failure rates and pass scores. The four standard setting methods were applied with a sample size that included 38 (year 5 undergraduate) students at the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University. Results: Modified Cohen’s method resulted in the lowest passing score (54% and 58%), while the Hofstee method led to the highest passing score (69.2% and 75%). Comparing the percentage of students who are supposed to pass the exam, we can observe that there is no statistically significant difference among these standard-setting methods were used except for the Hofstee method. Conclusions: There is no single best method for setting the passing mark of an exam. We could obtain more practical outcomes if we considered more than one method and the average pass mark.

Effectiveness Of Structured Training Programme Regarding Adult Basic Life Support On Knowledge Of Nurses` In Zoba Maekel And National Referral Hospitals, Eritrea, 2018.

Background: In Eritrea nurses provide most of the health care in the primary, secondary and tertiary level health facilities. The rate of trauma and medical emergencies are on the increase so nurses should have adequate and updated knowledge on Basic Life Support in order to be able to implement effective interventions in cardiac arrest situations. Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of structured training programme regarding Adult Basic Life Support on knowledge of nurses.Method: A quasi-experimental single group, pretest-posttest and retest design was utilized. Forty (40) nurses’ participated in the study. Structured and modified questionnaire was used to collect data.Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22.0 program. Frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation was used to describe the data. One way repeated measures of ANOVA was used to check the possible change in knowledge of the nurses at pre- intervention, immediate and three months’ after intervention. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: The findings showed an acquisition of Adult Basic Life Support knowledge among the study participants following a four hour Basic Life Support training programme. Before training, the mean score of the study participant on knowledge questions was 9.58/20 and none of the respondents got a pass mark. Immediately after the training the mean score of the study participants was increased to 15.9/20 and 55.0% of the study participant got a passing mark. Significant deterioration from the immediate training score was found three months following Basic Life Support training as score was decreased to 14.9 and 40% of the respondents got a pass mark. Nurses’ knowledge was improved from their pre-training scores, which clearly indicated a positive retention in Basic Life Support knowledge after training. Conclusions: The study findings present strong evidence that support the critical role of structured training programme about Adult Basic Life Support in improving nurses knowledge.

Objective Structured Clinical Examination Tests: Comparison with Traditional Clinical Examinations in Surgery

Background: Examination methods change over time, and audits are useful for quality assurance and improvement. Objective: Comparison of traditional clinical test and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in a department of surgery. Methods: Examination records of results of the fifth year MBChB examinations for 2012–2013 (traditional) and 2014–2015 (OSCE) were analyzed. Using 50% as the pre-agreed pass mark, the pass rate for the clinical examinations in each year was calculated and these figures were subjected to t-test to determine any significant differences in each year and in type of clinical test. P value of <0.05 determined significant statistical differences in the test score. Results: We analyzed 1178 results; most (55.6%) did OSCE. The average clinical scores examinations were 59.7% for traditional vs 60.1% for OSCE examination; basic surgical skills were positively skewed. Conclusion: OSCE in the same setting of teaching and examiners may give more marks than the traditional clinical examination, but it is better at detecting areas of inadequacies for emphasis in teaching. Keywords: Clinical examination, Traditional, OSCE, Comparison

Effectiveness of structured handouts lectures and oral discussion on the performance of science students in the basic biochemistry course

<p>The aim of this article was to investigate the effect of structured handouts lectures and oral discussions on the academic performance of biochemistry students. The biochemistry course of science Bachelor students was implemented through structured handouts lectures using the lecturer and the mobile as information sources , oral discussions and practical sessions. The opinion of the students about the instruction methods was investigated through a questionnaire. The academic performance of the students was compared to the performance of a previous student batch who studied the course through traditional lectures and practical sessions only. The obtained results were analyzed using the SPSS program and the t-test percent. According to the university regulations the pass mark was set as 60. 85.9% was the percentage of pass students who studied the course through the structured handouts , oral discussion and practical session while the percentage of the pass students who studied the course through traditional lectures and practical sessions was 78.8%. However, the difference between the two percentages was insignificant (p- value= 0.25). The questionnaire analysis showed that 63.2% of the students believed that the structured handouts lectures and the oral discussions were excellent and 79.4% of the students advised the course coordinator to adopt this teaching method for the future batches.<b> </b>structured handouts lectures and oral discussions improved the performance of biochemistry students and they advised to adopt the method for future batches of biochemistry. </p>

Effectiveness of structured handouts lectures and oral discussion on the performance of science students in the basic biochemistry course

<p>The aim of this article was to investigate the effect of structured handouts lectures and oral discussions on the academic performance of biochemistry students. The biochemistry course of science Bachelor students was implemented through structured handouts lectures using the lecturer and the mobile as information sources , oral discussions and practical sessions. The opinion of the students about the instruction methods was investigated through a questionnaire. The academic performance of the students was compared to the performance of a previous student batch who studied the course through traditional lectures and practical sessions only. The obtained results were analyzed using the SPSS program and the t-test percent. According to the university regulations the pass mark was set as 60. 85.9% was the percentage of pass students who studied the course through the structured handouts , oral discussion and practical session while the percentage of the pass students who studied the course through traditional lectures and practical sessions was 78.8%. However, the difference between the two percentages was insignificant (p- value= 0.25). The questionnaire analysis showed that 63.2% of the students believed that the structured handouts lectures and the oral discussions were excellent and 79.4% of the students advised the course coordinator to adopt this teaching method for the future batches.<b> </b>structured handouts lectures and oral discussions improved the performance of biochemistry students and they advised to adopt the method for future batches of biochemistry. </p>

Pass Rate Set by Borderline Regression Method but not by Modified Angoff is Independent on Difficulty of Content in Objective Structured Clinical Exams

Background Standard setting is a method of determining the cut-off point on the scoring scale that separates the competent from the non-competent. This is a crucial feature of each exam. Pass rate should ideally be independent on the difficulty of exam content. Methods We compared the modified Angoff method (MAM) with the borderline regression method (BRM) of standard setting in 185 candidates examined by 137 examiners in the oral part of the European Diploma in Intensive Care exam, June 2018. We then compared the effect of removal of the hardest questions on the performance of the two techniques. The exam comprised 299 items in total across 6 OSCE stations. OSCE stations were of two types; short computer based OSCE stations (3 x 12 minutes), and longer structured discussion stations based on a clinical case (3 x 25 minutes). Our focus was the effect of item difficulty on the performance of the two standard setting techniques in determining the pass mark. Results MAM and BRM both led to similar pass rates overall for the shorter computer based 12 min OSCE stations. In the longer structured discussion 25 min stations MAM set a pass mark much higher than BRM, failing more of the candidates whose performance during the examination was judged by examiners on their global assessment as above the standard required to pass. Further analysis showed the exam items most affecting this were the more difficult items with lower discrimination; Angoff judges over-estimated the borderline candidates ability for these items. Elimination of these items led to convergence of pass marks achieved by the two methods. Conclusion Pass mark setting by Modified Angoff Method, but not by Borderline Regression Method, is influenced by the difficulty of exam content. This has practical implication for evaluating the results of OSCE exams.

Ocena jakości obsługi klienta metodą "mystery shopping" na przykładzie banku

Assessment of customer service quality using the mystery shopping method based on the example of a bank The aim of the article is to assess the quality of customer service in a bank using the “mystery shop­per” method in the context of the binding service standards. The article was prepared on the basis of data from primary and secondary sources. As part of the mystery shopping research, 1,388 audits were conducted in 2018 and 2019. As a result of the conducted analyses, it was found that most of the analyzed criteria influencing customer satisfaction with the service in the examined bank are at a very good level over 91% of positive indications. One element of the service provision process a discreet greeting of an entering customer needs to be improved as its rating was positive only in 56% of indications, which gives an equivalent of a pass mark.