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Updated: Jul 16, 2025

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
Published on: September 4, 2019
What have we learned about constructed response short-answer questions from students and faculty? A
Judith M Brenner1, Tracy B Fulton2, Marieke Kruidering3
1Department of Science Education, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA.
Constructed response short-answer questions (CR-SAQs) offer authenticity and deeper learning but face challenges in feasibility and reproducibility. Medical educators can use CR-SAQs to align curricula with assessment needs.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Assessment in Health Professions Education
Background:
- Constructed response short-answer questions (CR-SAQs) are increasingly considered for medical education assessments.
- Evaluating CR-SAQs requires a framework like Norcini's criteria for good assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the perceived benefits and drawbacks of CR-SAQs in preclerkship medical education.
- To assess CR-SAQs using Norcini's criteria for good assessment.
Main Methods:
- A multi-institutional survey of 260 students and 57 faculty was conducted.
- Likert scale and open-ended questions evaluated perceptions of CR-SAQs.
- Descriptive statistics, Chi-square analyses, and directed content analysis were used.
Main Results:
- Benefits identified: authenticity, deeper learning, and feedback.
- Drawbacks identified: feasibility, construct validity, and scoring reproducibility.
- Participants found CR-SAQs acceptable for reasoning and partial credit but stressful and not USMLE-formatted.
Conclusions:
- CR-SAQs can align innovative curricula with assessment practices.
- CR-SAQs may enhance the assessment toolkit for medical educators.
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