Formative student-authored question bank: perceptions, question quality and association with summative performance.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Educational Technology
• Student Learning

Background:

• Limited research exists on the efficacy of student-generated questions as a study method.
• Student perceptions and the quality of questions in student-authored question banks require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate PeerWise, a free online platform enabling students to create, answer, and discuss multiple-choice questions.
• To assess the value of authoring questions as a study strategy and analyze student perceptions of PeerWise.

Main Methods:

• Two undergraduate medical student cohorts (n=603) utilized PeerWise.
• Usage patterns, engagement, and summative exam performance correlations were analyzed.
• Focus groups gathered student perceptions, and item analysis assessed question quality.

Main Results:

• Over two academic years, students authored 4671 questions and answered questions 606,658 times.
• Higher frequency of question writing correlated significantly with summative exam performance (Spearman's rank: 0.24, p<0.001).
• Students valued curriculum specificity but expressed concerns about question quality; however, item analysis revealed high-quality questions.

Conclusions:

• Item analysis indicated acceptable quality of student-authored questions, despite student reservations.
• Quantitative and qualitative data suggest PeerWise is an effective and valuable study tool for medical students.