Anatomy practical examinations: how does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy

Background:

• Traditional anatomy practical examinations utilize physical specimens in a laboratory setting.
• Online assessments using digital resources and learning management systems are emerging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare student performance in anatomy practical examinations between online and traditional assessment environments.
• To determine if the examination medium significantly impacts student scores.

Main Methods:

• Student scores were compared across six anatomy courses, divided into credit-weight matched pairs.
• One course in each pair used an online format (Moodle™) with digital images and videos.
• The other course used the traditional format with physical specimens and identification tags.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in mean student scores between the online and traditional examination formats within each course pair.
• A significant positive correlation was observed between student scores in the traditional and online assessment formats.

Conclusions:

• Online anatomy practical examinations yield comparable results to traditional methods.
• Educators can be reassured about the validity of using either online or traditional formats for anatomy practical assessments.