MCQ - MEDICAL ASSESSMENT TOOL

Assignment Module 3: Assessment in Medical Education

Assignment Module 3: Assessment in Medical Education

Introduction

Assessment is an important tool used in higher education that contributes widely in providing sufficient feedback to the students about the course of their learning and the certification they have achieved (AMEE Guide, 2011). A critical analysis on the short term and long term emphasis on the learning based assessment demands a balance in order foster the learning aptitude of the students after graduation and in future studies. Students should become the assessors and must focus to participate on the kinds of learning objectives faced in study, work and throughout life. As there are different types of assessment practices adapted within the higher education courses (Boud & Falchikov, 2006).

As per international standards the assessment tools are changing and so is the nature of teaching methodology and learning process in the higher education. As the number of students attending medical schools is becoming diverse and they belong to different origins, the concept of part time study is also owned by many students, students have now become mature enough to realize the importance of education and learning. Many students are also coming from the non-traditional backgrounds, particularly in UK, where the students belong to the socioeconomic status previously with no easy access to the higher education. These are the main reasons for which a change was demanded in the traditional compulsory education process. The old process had more focus on the didactic tutor -led approaches and less concentration on the learning outcomes (Brown, 2004).

Discussion

Assessment and Learning

The learning which higher education provides is the foundation on which the life and learning throughout the working life and social settings is based. The purpose of the assessment learning is to equip the student's way beyond the academics once they understand the infrastructure of teaching, learning and courses. When the formal assessment if no longer available the challenge is now to accomplish a number of goals that will help the students to gain education in a university. Recently a number of developments have now over power the short comings which show the importance of higher education in the lifelong learning process. These include a focused learning based on the outcomes, using graduate attributes, employability agenda, and the progress of capabilities (Boud & Falchikov, 2006). In each of these the role of assessment has done fully justified.

Purpose of Assessment

The two main purpose of assessment which has been documented for long; the first is to supply the students the certificates for what they have achieved. The benefit of this type of assessment tool is the students graduate with a validated and verified record of their performance throughout the study course. This assessment tool (certification) is used by the education institutes and the employers to make judgements and analyse the performance of the students in their study line and conclude whether they must be allowed for further studies or accepted for job or ...