The use of microfiche in testing clinical judgment

Area of Science:

• Dental education
• Clinical judgment assessment

Background:

• Traditional clinical materials can be bulky and difficult to manage.
• Microfiche offers a potential alternative for storing and presenting clinical information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy and student preference of using microfiche for clinical judgment testing.
• To compare microfiche and non-microfiche test formats in assessing the treatment of partial edentulism.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-three students completed two versions of a clinical judgment test: one on microfiche and one non-microfiche.
• Each student acted as both a control and experimental subject.
• The order of test administration was also analyzed for its impact on results.

Main Results:

• Students showed a preference for the non-microfiche test format.
• No significant differences were found in test administration time or student grades between the two formats.
• Test position significantly influenced administration time (p < .01) and grades (p < .01), with earlier tests taking longer and receiving higher marks.

Conclusions:

• While students preferred traditional formats, microfiche is a viable medium for clinical judgment testing without compromising accuracy or efficiency.
• The order in which tests are administered can impact student performance and perceived difficulty.
• Further research may explore optimizing microfiche integration into dental education assessments.