Assessment-based health informatics curriculum improvement

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics Education
• Curriculum Assessment
• Educational Measurement

Background:

• Informatics programs require curricula that prepare students for specific roles and ensure competency mastery.
• Effective assessment methods are crucial for evaluating curriculum effectiveness and student learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a method for utilizing assessment data to enhance informatics curricula.
• To identify improvements for student selection and assessment strategies within informatics programs.

Main Methods:

• Developed a multiple-choice examination aligned with the Commission for Health Accreditation of Informatics and Information Management Education standards.
• Administered the exam to two cohorts of entering students (pre-program) and one cohort post-first year.
• Assessed reliability (Cronbach's alpha), content validity (rater agreement), construct validity (instructed vs. uninstructed students), and criterion-related validity (background variables, graduate GPA).

Main Results:

• The examination demonstrated good reliability (0.91, 0.82, 0.43) and content validity (76% item appropriateness).
• Statistically significant differences were observed between instructed and uninstructed students, and between pre- and post-tests.
• No significant correlations were found between background variables or graduate GPA and examination scores.

Conclusions:

• The developed examination possesses generally strong psychometric properties.
• Assessment data can effectively pinpoint areas for curriculum and assessment refinement in informatics education.