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| Research article summary (published 30 Dec 2001): |
Is that your final answer? Relationship of changed answers to overall performance on a computer-based medical school course examination.
Full Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Whether examinees benefit from the opportunity to change answers to examination questions has been discussed widely.
PURPOSE:
This study was undertaken to document the impact of answer changing on exam performance on a computer-based course examination in a second-year medical school course.
METHODS:
This study analyzed data from a 2 hour, 80-item computer delivered multiple-choice exam administered to 190 students (166 second-year medical students and 24 physician's assistant students).
RESULTS:
There was a small but significant net improvement in overall score when answers were changed:
one student's score increased by 7 points, 93 increased by 1 to 4 points, and 38 decreased by 1 to 3 points. On average, lower-performing students benefited slightly less than higher-performing students. Students spent more time on questions for which they changed the answers and were more likely to change items that were more difficult.
CONCLUSIONS:
Students should not be discouraged from changing answers, especially to difficult questions that require careful consideration, although the net effect is quite small.
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Author information
Author/s: Ferguson, Kristi J (KJ); Kreiter, Clarence D (CD); Peterson, Michael W (MW); Rowat, Jane A (JA); Elliott, Scott T (ST);
Affiliation: Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education, 1204 MEB, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. kristi-ferguson@uiowa.edu
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article
Journal: Teaching and learning in medicine (Teach Learn Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-; vol 14 (issue 1) : pp 20-3
Dates: Created 2002/02/27; Completed 2002/08/19; Revised 2004/11/17;
PMID: 11865744, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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