Focal Spot, Winter 2007/2008

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/focal_spot_archives/1107/thumbnail.jp

Developing e-assessment using the quiz activity within Moodle: empowering student learning

Using formative assessment within Moodle has been shown to encourage self-directed learning (Bromham & Oprandi, 2006). Our experience of using formative assessment quizzes as stand alone entities, as well as within Moodle lessons, has been used to introduce Moodle assessment quizzes over the past year in Level 1 and Level 2 Life Sciences courses. This experience has been distilled to inform the content of this workshop. Some advantages of incorporating assessments in the form of Moodle quizzes are that they allow for quick, reproducible and flexible assessment with a relatively small initial set-up cost, and substantial long-term staff and administration savings. One significant advantage is that staff and room pressures can be reduced as students can attempt the assessment at a time and location of their choice within a specified time period. This flexibility can help to reduce student stress associated with completion of a continuous assessment for their course. It is also a relatively simple process to account for students entitled to extra time during assessments. Providing clear instructions beforehand and at the start of the quiz ensures that students understand their responsibilities for completion of this assessment and ultimately the course. There are some disadvantages and limitations to the system as it currently exists, for example there is the perceived ability for students to “cheat” by completing the assessment as a group, accessing books and the internet. Strategies to account for these can be put in place and will be discussed in detail during the workshop. This workshop aims to take the participants through the initial set up of a quiz, highlighting the various question types and how these can be used to create a challenging assessment that can be quickly graded and prove informative for staff and course development. Reference Bromham L. & Oprandi P. (2006) Evolution online: developing active and blended learning by using a virtual learning environment in an introductory biology course. Journal of Biological Education 41 (1): 21-25

Teaching small animal reproduction via virtual patients

Virtual patients have become an interesting alternative in medical education. Due to increasing demands regarding theoretical and clinical teaching and to improve an interdisciplinary approach, a new blended learning concept including virtual patients was developed and implemented in the veterinary curriculum of the Freie Universität Berlin. In the presented project, three virtual patients from the field of canine reproduction were developed. They focus on pregnancy diagnosis with suspected luteal insufficiency, pyometra and benign prostatic hyperplasia, respectively. The results of an evaluation by veterinary students of the 7th semester showed a high acceptance of virtual patients in a blended learning reproduction module in the interdisciplinary lectures. Students especially preferred videos, such as video lectures, hands‐on videos and animations as well as a glossary for background information, to successfully and autonomously work on a virtual case. The content covered by the new modules that were developed in the context of this project is part of a spiral curriculum; they will be revised and enhanced during the clinical year

Supporting graduate teaching assistants in two STEM areas

No abstract available

Wings of knowledge:navigating learner confidence and cognitive load in avian radiography with a low fidelity model

In veterinary first opinion practice, radiography is an important diagnostic tool for avian patients. Teaching of such diagnostic skills to learners is usually conducted using teaching models in clinical skills laboratories. The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of using a teaching model for avian radiography positioning by measuring learner's cognitive load, confidence, satisfaction, and assessing learning by OSCE assessment. An avian radiography positioning model was created and evaluated with pre- and post-Likert questions on confidence, a pre and post 9-point cognitive load scale, an OSCE assessment (max score = 20), and post Likert questions on satisfaction. Thirty-two undergraduate veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students participated in the study. The results showed the cognitive load of participants was high and did not change with the use of a physical model (p = .882). Participants exhibited increased confidence in avian radiography positioning (pre; M = 2, post; M = 4, p < .001) and expressed high overall satisfaction with the model (x̄ = 4.6, no negative or neutral Likert responses). The OSCE results demonstrated a higher pass rate mean (82%) for the positioning tasks compared to the collimation and centering tasks (53%). Overall, the model was well received by learners with increased confidence and a satisfactory learning experience in a clinical skill for exotics species. These findings suggest the avian radiography positioning model is an effective model to train students to position avian patients for radiography