High-Stakes Collaborative Testing: Why Not?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Collaborative Learning
• Assessment Methods

Background:

• Research on high-stakes collaborative testing in medical education is limited.
• Understanding student experiences in both established and newly formed teams is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the phenomenon of high-stakes collaborative testing in medical education.
• To examine student experiences within established and newly formed teams during collaborative testing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Board of Medical Examiners Psychiatry subject test in a 2-stage process.
• Conducted focus groups with third-year psychiatry students (N=49) across 5 medical schools.
• Triangulated qualitative findings with quantitative data for robust analysis.

Main Results:

• Students reported heightened emotions but found collaborative tests valuable, irrespective of team status.
• Participants described learning subject matter, self-awareness, and interpersonal dynamics.
• Quantitative data corroborated the qualitative themes, supporting the perceived value and feasibility.

Conclusions:

• High-stakes collaborative tests are valuable and feasible in medical education, despite student apprehension.
• This testing method can serve as both summative and formative evaluation (tests of learning and for learning).
• Further research is warranted due to the limited existing studies on this assessment methodology.