Web-based and paper-based examinations: Lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Assessment Modalities
• Remote Learning

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic necessitated remote assessment in medical education.
• Transitioning from traditional paper-based exams (PBEs) to web-based exams (WBEs) presented challenges.
• Data-driven insights were needed to address concerns regarding remote assessment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of remote assessment in medical education during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• To share data-driven experiences in resolving emerging concerns with remote assessments.
• To compare the outcomes of paper-based exams (PBEs) and web-based exams (WBEs).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of end-of-course paper-based exams (PBEs) and web-based exams (WBEs) from the 2019/2020 academic year.
• Inclusion of twelve end-of-block exams across three-year groups.
• Comparison of mean scores between PBEs and WBEs, and analysis of scores for high- and low-achieving students.

Main Results:

• Variations in student scores between PBEs and WBEs were observed, with some statistically significant differences.
• No consistent trend or pattern was detected in score differences between the two assessment modalities.
• Individual student scores showed a consistent positive correlation across different exams, particularly high for PBEs (r=0.782, 0.847).

Conclusions:

• Average and individual scores from web-based exams (WBEs) and paper-based exams (PBEs) are comparable.
• Despite minor variations, WBEs and PBEs demonstrated similar assessment outcomes.
• Web-based exams (WBEs) are suitable for formative assessment, progress testing, and continuous assessment.