The effect of test-enhanced spaced learning on the otolaryngology board and annual examination results: A quasi-experimental study

• Main Authors: SASAN DABIRI, AEEN MOHAMMADI, RITA MOJTAHEDZADEH
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2019-07-01
• Series: Journal of Advances in Medical Education and Professionalism
• Subjects: learning; cognition; internship; residency; otolaryngology
• Online Access: http://jamp.sums.ac.ir/article_45011_6062418b1866f282dc094aa7a1023ef6.pdf
• ISSN: 2322-2220; 2322-3561

Introduction: In the test-enhanced spaced learning, educational<br />contents are presented in small packages of well-developed<br />test questions with a defined frequency to the learners. It is not<br />clear that applying this educational style might have a positive<br />impact on the summative assessment. Therefore, in this study<br />we assessed the effect of the test-enhanced spaced learning on<br />the otolaryngology board and annual examinations of residency<br />training.<br />Methods: In a quasi-experimental study with consecutive<br />sampling, all forty-four residents of otolaryngology in four levels<br />of training in 2016 at Tehran University of Medical Sciences<br />(TUMS) received daily-standardized multiple-choice questions<br />with a twice-repeated frequency of 10 days. Individual feedback<br />according to one’s response to each test was provided. The results<br />of national board and annual exam were compared with the same<br />results of all residents of other universities and previous year<br />TUMS’ residents for whom spaced learning were not applied and<br />they were considered as the control groups. The board exam had<br />two parts, multiple-choice questions, and computer-based clinical<br />examination. The annual exam format was multiple-choice<br />questions. The total score for each one was 150. Student’s t-test<br />and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparative analyses.<br /> Results: The mean of the board exam results showed statistically<br />significant improvement compared to other medical schools<br />(113.6±10.7 vs. 102.9±13.4 in multiple-choice questions,<br />p=0.048, 118.7±12.5 vs. 54.1±60.0 in the computer-based clinical<br />examination, p<0.001), while similar comparison results in the<br />previous year did not show any significant difference.<br />Conclusion: Spaced learning with testing effect may be useful in<br />the clinical education setting to improve the learning outcomes.