Undergraduate medical education programme renewal: a longitudinal context, input, process and product evaluation...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Traditional undergraduate medical education programs often require revision to meet evolving needs.
• Systematic evaluation frameworks are crucial for guiding educational reform and ensuring program quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model as a framework for revising and evaluating an undergraduate medical education program.
• To guide the initiation, planning, implementation, and evaluation of a new medical education program.

Main Methods:

• An eight-year longitudinal study employing the four phases of the CIPP model: Context, Input, Process, and Product.
• Data collection through qualitative and quantitative methods, including focus groups, questionnaires, and performance measures.
• Involved diverse stakeholders: medical students, faculty, administrators, and graduates.

Main Results:

• The CIPP model facilitated systematic data collection and stakeholder management throughout the program revision.
• Formative information was provided for ongoing adjustments during the process phase.
• Outcomes of the revised program in the basic sciences phase were evaluated.

Conclusions:

• The CIPP model offers a robust framework for guiding policy-makers in educational reform by systematically collecting evaluation data.
• Effective management of stakeholder reactions is essential at each stage of reform.
• Potential challenges include evaluation burden and addressing unplanned evaluation questions.