Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic is forcing the medical educators to innovate and embrace online education and assessment platform. One of the most significant challenges we are facing is the formative assessment of practical skills in the undergraduate medical biochemistry education. We have designed the electronic objectively structured practical examination to facilitate the formative assessment.
Keywords: assessment of educational activities, COVID‐19, e‐OSPE, formative assessment, international health education in developing and developed countries, medical education
1. GROUND SITUATION
The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic has restricted ‘in person’ teaching learning activities. However, this challenge provided the opportunity to embrace virtual platforms. Use of telemedicine 1 and tele‐teaching 2 is popular means for medical education. Recently, the Medical Council of India has emphasized a competency‐based curriculum with objective assessment in undergraduate medical education. Objectively structured practical examination (OSPE) has been shown to be more effective compared to the traditional practical examination. 3 Therefore, an OSPE‐based formative assessment in biochemistry through virtual format is planned.
2. PROPOSED PLAN
We combined Google Classroom with Google Form‐based online assessment system and G Suite‐based third‐party formLimiter with add on plugin (New Visions Cloudlab) to build electronic OSPE (e‐OSPE). To simulate the requisite OSPE environment with seamless transition between the stations, a single Google sheet linked to all stations is designed to sequentially stop accepting responses after a span of 5 min and to provide the link to the next station on submission of answer with provision of error message, in case of crossing the time limit at any particular station. The entire process will be monitored by one faculty through the Google Classroom live stream during the examination. The system will use in‐built assessment based on answer validation criteria to provide marks. Feedback from both learners and facilitators would be collected. Links to all stations, feedback questions and screenshots are included in Data S1.
3. PROJECTED OUTCOME
The potential of e‐OSPE as a suitable alternative assessment tool would be tested. Challenges of internet connectivity and possibility of cross‐talk between the students would be addressed.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Supporting information
DATA S1 Links to all stations, feedback questions and screenshots
Dutta AK, Goswami K, Murugaiyan S, et al. The transition from objectively structured practical examination (OSPE) to electronic OSPE in the era of COVID‐19. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2020;48:488–489. 10.1002/bmb.21410
Contributor Information
Atanu Kumar Dutta, Email: atanu.dutta05@gmail.com.
Kalyan Goswami, Email: goswamikln@gmail.com.
Sathishbabu Murugaiyan, Email: dr.msathish@gmail.com.
Sibasish Sahoo, Email: drsibasish18@gmail.com.
Amit Pal, Email: amitaiimsk@gmail.com.
Chandramallika Paul, Email: chandramallikapaul@gmail.com.
Sasikala Thallapaneni, Email: sasikala.krupa@gmail.com.
Soham Biswas, Email: biswassoham029@gmail.com.
REFERENCES
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- 3. Jaswal S, Chattwal J, Kaur J, Gupta S, Singh T. Assessment for learning with objectively structured practical examination in biochemistry. Int J App Basic Med Res. 2015;5:71. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Supplementary Materials
DATA S1 Links to all stations, feedback questions and screenshots