Comparison between Long-Menu and Open-Ended Questions in computerized medical assessments. A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Long-menu questions (LMQs) are viewed as an alternative method for answering open-ended questions (OEQs) in computerized assessment. So far this question type and its influence on examination scores have not been studied sufficiently. However, the increasing use of computerized assessments will also lead to an increasing use of this question type. Using a summative online key feature (KF) examination we evaluated whether LMQs can be compared with OEQs in regard to the level of difficulty, performance and response times. We also evaluated the content for its suitability for LMQs. METHODS: We randomized 146 fourth year medical students into two groups. For the purpose of this study we created 7 peer-reviewed KF-cases with a total of 25 questions. All questions had the same content in both groups, but nine questions had a different answer type. Group A answered 9 questions with an LM type, group B with an OE type. In addition to the LM answer, group A could give an OE answer if the appropriate answer was not included in the list. RESULTS: The average number of correct answers for LMQs and OEQs showed no significant difference (p = 0.93). Among all 630 LM answers only one correct term (0.32%) was not included in the list of answers. The response time for LMQs did not significantly differ from that of OEQs (p = 0.65). CONCLUSION: LMQs and OEQs do not differ significantly. Compared to standard multiple-choice questions (MCQs), the response time for LMQs and OEQs is longer. This is probably due to the fact that they require active problem solving skills and more practice. LMQs correspond more suitable to Short answer questions (SAQ) then to OEQ and should only be used when the answers can be clearly phrased, using only a few, precise synonyms. LMQs can decrease cueing effects and significantly simplify the scoring in computerized assessment

Evaluation of a web-based ECG-interpretation programme for undergraduate medical students

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most clinicians and teachers agree that knowledge about ECG is of importance in the medical curriculum. Students at Karolinska Institutet have asked for more training in ECG-interpretation during their undergraduate studies. Clinical tutors, however, have difficulties in meeting these demands due to shortage of time. Thus, alternative ways to learn and practice ECG-interpretation are needed. Education offered via the Internet is readily available, geographically independent and flexible. Furthermore, the quality of education may increase and become more effective through a superior educational approach, improved visualization and interactivity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A Web-based comprehensive ECG-interpretation programme has been evaluated. Medical students from the sixth semester were given an optional opportunity to access the programme from the start of their course. Usage logs and an initial evaluation survey were obtained from each student. A diagnostic test was performed in order to assess the effect on skills in ECG interpretation. Students from the corresponding course, at another teaching hospital and without access to the ECG-programme but with conventional teaching of ECG served as a control group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>20 of the 32 students in the intervention group had tested the programme after 2 months. On a five-graded scale (1- bad to 5 – very good) they ranked the utility of a web-based programme for this purpose as 4.1 and the quality of the programme software as 3.9. At the diagnostic test (maximal points 16) by the end of the 5-month course at the 6th semester the mean result for the students in the intervention group was 9.7 compared with 8.1 for the control group (p = 0.03).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Students ranked the Web-based ECG-interpretation programme as a useful instrument to learn ECG. Furthermore, Internet-delivered education may be more effective than traditional teaching methods due to greater immediacy, improved visualisation and interactivity.</p

Implementasi sertifikasi amil zakat di YDSF Malang

INDONESIA: Zakat salah satu dari rukun sebagai salah satu instrumen pengentas kemiskinan. Indonesia memiliki potensi yang sangat tinggi dalam menghimpun dana zakat, dikarekan mayoritas penduduk Indonesia adalah beragama Islam. Untuk meningkatkan dan juga menjamin mutu pengelolaan zakat serta amil zakat yang profesional, serta perlunya untuk mengatur mengenai standarisasi dalam pengelolaan di bidang zakat, maka BAZNAS mengeluarkan Peraturan Nomor 2 Tahun 2018 tentang Sertifikasi Amil Zakat. YDSF Malang merupakan salah satu organisasi pengelola zakat di kota Malang. Penelitian ini bertujuaN untuk mengkaji lebih dalam lagi terhadap pengimplementasian Sertifikasi Amil Zakat di YDSF Malang serta apa saja faktor penghambat dan pendukung pengimplementasian peraturan tersebut. Penelitian yang digunakan oleh peneliti adalah penelitian lapangan dengan metode kualitatif deskriptif. Adapun sumber data primer ini berasal dari 3 amil zakat YDSF Malang yang sudah bersertifikasi amil zakat. Pengolahan data melaui tahap-tahap : pemeriksaan data, klasifikasi, verifikasi, analisis, dan kesimpulan. Dalam penelitian ini menghasilkan kesimpulan bahwa : (1.) Jadi di YDSF Malang telah menerapkan sertifikasi amil zakat di YDSF Malang akan tetapi sertifikasi itu belum sepenuhnya diterapkan kepada semua amilnya. Hal ini dikarenakan adanya standar yang ditetapkan oleh lembaga untuk bisa mengirim amilnya dalam mengikuti sertifikasi amil zakat. Ada beberapa persyaratan atau SOP baik dari pihak lembaga YDSF Malang ataupun dari BAZNAS yang harus dipenuhi oleh para amil untuk mereka bisa mengikuti ujian sertifikasi amil itu sendiri. (2.) Adapun faktor penghambat untuk bisa menerapkan peraturan tersebut dari YDSF Malang adalah sumberdaya manusia, terkait kesiapan atau kemampuan amil itu sendiri. Adapun yang menjadi faktor pendukung untuk bisa menerapkan peraturan ini adalah adanya komunikasi; disposisi; dan struktur birokrasi. ENGLISH: Zakat which is one of the pillars as an instrument of poverty alleviation. Indonesia has a very high potential in collecting zakat funds, because the majority of Indonesia's population is Muslim. The one who manages zakat is called amil. To improve and ensure the quality of zakat management and professional zakat management, as well as the need to regulate standardization in zakat management, BAZNAS issued Regulation Number 2 of 2018 concerning Certification of Amil Zakat. YDSF Malang is one of the zakat management organizations in the city of Malang. This study aims to examine more deeply the implementation of the Indonesian Amil Zakat Agency Regulation Number 2 of 2018 concerning Amil Zakat Certification at YDSF Malang and what are the inhibiting and supporting factors for the implementation of the regulation. The research used by researchers is field research with descriptive qualitative methods. As for the primary data source, it comes from 3 amil zakat in YDSF Malang who have received amil zakat certification. Data processing through the stages: data checking, classification, verification, analysis, and conclusions. In this study, This research concludes that: (1.) So YDSF Malang has implemented zakat amil certification at YDSF Malang but the certification has not been fully applied to all amil. This is because there are standards set by the institution to be able to send their amil in participating in zakat amil certification. There are several requirements or SOPs from either the YDSF Malang institution or from BAZNAS that must be fulfilled by the amil so that they can take the amil certification exam itself. (2.) The inhibiting factor for implementing the regulation from YDSF Malang is human resources, related to the readiness or ability of the amil itself. As for the supporting factors to be able to apply this regulation is the existence of communication; disposition; and bureaucratic structures. ARABIC: الزكاة ركن من أركان التخفيف من حدة الفقر. تتمتع إندونيسيا بإمكانيات عالية جدًا في تحصيل أموال الزكاة ، لأن غالبية سكان إندونيسيا مسلمون. لتحسين وضمان جودة إدارة الزكاة والإدارة المهنية للزكاة ، وكذلك الحاجة إلى تنظيم التوحيد القياسي في إدارة الزكاة ، أصدرت بازناس اللائحة رقم 2 لعام 2018 بشأن اعتماد عامل الزكاة. YDSF Malang هي إحدى منظمات إدارة الزكاة في مدينة مالانج. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى إجراء فحص أعمق لتطبيق شهادة زكاة العامل في YDSF Malang وما هي العوامل المثبطة والداعمة لتنفيذ اللائحة. استخدمت الباحثة بهذا البحث منهاجا وصفيا كيفيا. أمّا مصدر الأساسي بهذا البحث هو من ثلاثة عوامل YDSF مالانج الذين تم تصديقها من عامل الزكاة. طريق تحليل البيانات المستخدمة بهذا البحث هي تفطيش البيانات، تصنيف البيانات، التحقق، تحليل البيانات، و الإستنباط. يخلص هذا البحث إلى ما يلي: 1.( لقد نفذت YDSF Malang شهادة زكاة الأميل في YDSF Malang ولكن لم يتم تطبيق الشهادة بالكامل على جميع الأميل. هذا بسبب وجود معايير وضعتها المؤسسة لتتمكن من إرسال الأميل الخاص بهم في المشاركة في شهادة زكاة الأميل. هناك العديد من المتطلبات أو إجراءات التشغيل الموحدة من مؤسسة YDSF Malang أو من BAZNAS والتي يجب أن يفي بها الأميل حتى يتمكنوا من اجتياز امتحان شهادة الأميل نفسه. 2.( العامل المثبط للقدرة على تطبيق اللوائح من YDSF Malang هو الموارد البشرية ، المتعلقة باستعداد أو قدرة الأميل نفسه. أما بالنسبة للعوامل الداعمة للقدرة على تطبيق هذه اللائحة فهي وجود الاتصال ؛ تغير؛ والهياكل البيروقراطية