A method for rewarding collaborative efforts in preclinical assessments

Student success in basic medical science courses is typically determined by their individual performance on examinations of various types. Previous research both within and outside medical education has shown that the use of educational assessment activities can increase learning as demonstrated by performance on subsequent examinations, a phenomenon known as the testing effect. Activities primarily designed and used for assessment and evaluation purposes can also be used as teaching opportunities. We developed a method for measuring and evaluating student accomplishment in a preclinical basic science course that incorporates both individual and collaborative efforts, encourages and rewards active participation, does not compromise the reliability of the assessment outcome and is perceived by the students as helpful and valuable. The approach involved a two-part assessment activity composed of an individual examination and a small group examination with each component differentially weighted in determining an overall examination score. We found that the method was successful in encouraging collaborative efforts during the group component and provided valid measures of student grasp of the subject matter. We describe the development and implementation of the method, provide data derived from its use in a preclinical basic science course and discuss factors to be addressed when utilizing this approach to ensure fairness and reliability of the outcome. We include brief summary comments from students regarding their impressions of the value of this method.