During the first two study periods of study at HWCOM, a variety of methods of assessment are used. To assess knowledge and reasoning, multiple choice question tests (MCQs) are heavily used in the basic science and organ system module courses, with the additions of essay and fill-in-the-blank questions. When written properly, MCQ questions directly support the course learning objectives, effectively and accurately measure student learning, and most importantly, clearly define for students what you expect them to know and be able to do.
All assessments at FIU HWCOM are reviewed and edited by other faculty members before use in any examination counting toward a student’s grade. This process helps all who write questions continually improve their question-writing skills. MCQs can look deceptively simple to write. The reality however is that each strong high quality question takes hours of expert time in initial writing, and subsequent refinement and piloting.
If you are interested in developing or evaluating other methods of assessment in our curriculum, contact Learning and Teaching for additional resources and/or consultation.
- NBME Writing Guide: The National Board of Medical Examiners has just updated it’s concise and highly referenced guidebook for writing multiple-choice questions
- NBME Online Interactive Item Writing Tutorial: Another offering from the NBME, this 45-minute narrated tutorial provides an excellent introductory overview of the best practices and common pitfalls in MCQ writing.Writing Outstanding MCQs
- Writing MCQs
- Power Point Presentation