Objective vs. subjective in assessment

1. Objective vs. subjective in assessment Jaime Correia de Sousa, MD, MPH Horizonte Family Health Unit Matosinhos Health Centre - Portugal Health Sciences School (ECS) University of Minho, Braga - Portugal

2. Objectives At the end of this session the participant will: • Know the definition of assessment • Name the different purposes of assessment • Identify types of assessment • Distinguishthe difference between objective and subjective assessment

3. Definition of assessment Assessment the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. • It is often used in an educational context (to refer, e.g., to the work of institutional researchers), but it applies to other fields as well (such as health and finance). In: Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

4. Formative and summative assessments Summative Assessment is generally carried out at the end of a course or project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade.

5. Formative and summative assessments Formative Assessment is generally carried out throughout a course or project Formative assessment is used to aid learning. In an educational setting, formative assessment might be a teacher (or peer) or the learner, providing feedback on a student's work, and would not necessarily be used for grading purposes.

6. Purposes of assessment

7. Purposes of assessment • Judging mastery of essential skills and knowledge • Measuring improvements over time • Ranking students • Diagnosing student difficulties • Evaluating the teaching methods • Evaluating the effectiveness of the course • Motivating students to study Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

8. Assessment methods The method used should have three basic requirements: • Validity–does it measure what it is supposed to measure? • Reliability–does it produce consistent results? • Practicability–is it practical in terms of time and resources? Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

9. Types of assessment • Essay • Short-answer • Structured (written) • Objective (multiple choice, true-false) • Direct observation • Oral • Structured (practical / clinical) • Self-assessment Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

10. Objective and subjective assessment Objective assessment is a form of questioning which has a single correct answer.

11. Objective and subjective assessment Subjective assessment is a form of questioning which may have more than one current answer (or more than one way of expressing the correct answer).

12. Methods that are more Subjective • Essay • Short-answer • Direct observation • Checklists • Rating forms • Oral Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

13. Methods that are more Objective • Structured (written) • Patient management problem (PMP) • Modified essay question (MEQ) • Objective tests • Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) • True-false, matching • OSCE Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

14. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) • The aim of the OSCE is to test clinical and communication skills • It is designed so that an examiner can observe the student / learner putting these skills into practice.

15. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) It is an assessment tool in which the components of clinical competence such as • history taking • physical examination • simple procedures • interpretation of lab results • patient management problems • communication • attitude are tested using agreed check lists and rotating the student round a number of stations some which have observers with cheek lists.

16. Morrison, J. BMJ 2003;326:385-387

17. Conclusion • A combination of subjective and objective assessment tools can be used • Formative assessment can use more subjective methods that facilitate teacher-learner interaction • Summative assessment requires more objective tests.