Replacing traditional methods of instruction with innovative options is highly recommended as learner populations evolve.
9 The use of ExamSoft (Dallas, TX 75244 USA, ) with the insertion of images, videos and the rapid feedback allow the blending of technology and timely feedback these learners need to remain engaged with the course content. 8 On the other hand, they seek frequent, positive reinforcement.
7 Millennial learners are technologically savvy and will multitask. 6 The vast majority of our current students are from a generation of “millennial learners” born between 19, alternatively labeled the Y Generation, or the Internet Generation. 5 Lack of instructional resources can also lead to student disengagement, influencing their ability to learn. Students’ learning environment, including timely and specific feedback, greatly influences the motivation to learn. This process took days, resulting in a long delay before students received feedback. Traditionally laboratory examinations taken on paper meant faculty graders read handwritten answers and corrected individually submitted answers. The latter presents an even greater challenge when high student-to-faculty ratio is present. Providing a reflective assessment environment requires faculty to give examination feedback to students in a timely manner and for the faculty to identify at-risk students and intervene. Generally, challenges to effective instruction and assessment of learning include changes in student learning behavior and expectations, reduction in course contact hours, and the ability to provide a reflective assessment environment. Regardless, the grading load for weekly assignments and assessments remain at 65:1. 4 The OSU Parasitology student-to-faculty ratio in the spring semester teaching laboratory is 65:1 with the students divided into smaller working laboratory sections of 18 to 21 per group. Regarding Parasitology, in 2015, a national survey indicated an average student-to-faculty ratio of 43:1 (standard deviation of 28), which is largely dependent on curricular integration. 3 The student-to-faculty ratios in Anatomy 1 and Anatomy 2 are 23:1 and 27:1 respectively. Enrollment data from a recent survey presented to anatomists at the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists (AAVA) meeting in June 2017 showed a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1 based on 18 college responses. At The Ohio State University, the entering class size increased in 2013 to 162 students and remains at that number.Īt OSU, the student-to-faculty ratio in Anatomy and Parasitology is greater in both courses than the national average which is directly attributed to our large class sizes. For example, in 2006 there were 2,657 first-year DVM students, which grew to 4,363 in 2017, 2 an increase of 1,706 students. The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges reports steady increases in first-year seats. Here we describe the benefits of ExamSoft testing in the written and laboratory settings and the lessons learned during the 2-year transition.Ī trend in veterinary medical education is increased class size to meet revenue and program goals 1 at times without concurrent and proportionate growth in teaching faculty. After two semesters of process refinement and standardization of a testing device to the iPad, faculty teaching in the Anatomy and Parasitology courses were able to implement ExamSoft in a laboratory setting to realize the same assessment and efficiency gains.
Designing, setting up and grading exams for Anatomy and Parasitology courses with a laboratory component have always required substantial time investment, and adding a testing application to the process demanded rethinking and restructuring logistics. Although easily adopted into a didactic course format, its application in laboratory-based examinations proved challenging. CVM uses it for high stakes midterm and finals. ExamSoft is an electronic assessment application, which provides a secure testing environment and robust reporting features. In an effort to streamline examination procedures, create a consistent assessment format among courses, replace paper exams, track test questions linked to learning objectives, and reduce exam grading time, our DVM program adopted the use of ExamSoft for core courses beginning in the autumn semester 2014. The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), with a class size of 162, is one of the largest in the nation.
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