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Accuracy of student self-assessment ability compared to their own performance in a problem-based learning medical
M Tousignant1, J E DesMarchais
1University of Ottawa, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of the Science of Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Program, Ottawa, Canada.
Advances in Health Sciences Education : Theory and Practice
|March 26, 2002
Summary
Students in problem-based learning programs show poor self-assessment accuracy. Their predictions of performance before and after exams were not well-aligned with actual results, indicating a need for improved self-evaluation skills.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Student Assessment
- Problem-based Learning
Background:
- Self-assessment is a crucial skill for lifelong learning in medical education.
- Problem-based Learning (PBL) programs emphasize self-directed learning and reflective practice.
- Evaluating students' ability to accurately assess their own performance is vital for educational program development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of self-assessment skills among medical students in a PBL program.
- To compare students' predicted performance with their actual performance in standardized oral examinations.
- To investigate the correlation between self-assessment and objective performance measures.
Main Methods:
- Seventy third-year medical students in a four-year PBL program participated voluntarily.
- A self-assessment questionnaire was administered pre-examination (predicting performance) and post-examination (estimating performance).
- Accuracy was determined by analyzing the relationship between self-assessment ratings and actual examination performance.
Main Results:
- Pre-examination self-assessment accuracy was low, showing minimal correlation with oral examination performance (r = 0.042–0.243).
- Post-examination self-assessment showed slightly improved accuracy but remained very low (r = 0.257–0.334).
- The correlation between self-assessment and actual performance was consistently weak across both time points.
Conclusions:
- Third-year medical students in this self-directed PBL program exhibit poor accuracy in self-assessment relative to their performance.
- The findings suggest a potential gap in developing accurate self-reflection and performance evaluation skills within the PBL curriculum.
- Further research and targeted interventions may be necessary to enhance students' self-assessment capabilities in PBL settings.