Student assessment in community settings: a comprehensive approach

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Assessment Methods
• Community-Based Learning

Background:

• Student assessment in community settings poses challenges, including evaluating group contributions and standardizing tests.
• Traditional assessment methods often fall short in community-based medical programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of a comprehensive, multi-method student assessment approach.
• To determine if this approach effectively addresses assessment challenges in community settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized peer assessment, supervisory checklists, community feedback, student reports, short essay questions (SEQs), and multiple choice questions (MCQs).
• Assessed reliability using the alpha coefficient (0.77–0.92).
• Examined validity through confirmatory factor analysis and content review.

Main Results:

• Reliability coefficients were found to be acceptable, ranging from 0.77 to 0.92.
• Confirmatory factor analysis and content review indicated the approach is fairly valid.
• The comprehensive assessment strategy demonstrated success in overcoming common assessment obstacles.

Conclusions:

• The comprehensive, multi-faceted assessment approach at the University of Gezira is a valid and reliable method for community-based medical education.
• This model offers a potential solution to the inherent difficulties in assessing students within diverse community settings.