Overview

Evaluation and Assessment

1. What’s the difference between Evaluation and Assessment?

Evaluation (formative):

Evaluation is a broad concept, measuring the value of educational activities, programs, curricula etc. In medical education, students evaluate faculty and courses to answer the following questions:
• did it have the required effect? 
• did it address the correct issues? 
• were the needs and the wants of the teachers and learners achieved? 
• will it require changes if performed again?

Assessment (summative):

Assessment, derived from a Latin word that means “to sit beside and judge” is used to describe the systematic gathering of information about what the learner should know, is able to do, or working towards. It is usually associated with some measurement, marks, or percentages, but could be associated with specific descriptors. Assessment of students should focus upon performance in as near real life activity as possible, including clinical vignettes. In general, 
• The assessment task should be rooted in the real-life or clinical practice of both the assessed and the assessor 
• A variety of sources and methods of assessment should be used 
• The tasks should be manageable in the context of service or clinical provision 
• The assessment tasks should not consume excessive resources 
• A system of regular enquiry should be used to ensure the procedures are valid and reliable 
• Each assessment that completes an educational activity is scrutinized by a purposeful and active evaluation.

Gibbs, T., Brigden, D., & Hellenberg, D. (2006). Assessment and evaluation in medical education. South African Family Practice, 48(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/20786204.2006.10873311

2. Evaluation Collection Systems

a. Blue
b. OASIS

3. What students should know about Evaluations

a. Timing

i. Most, but not all, evaluations are due by Sunday evening 
ii. Students have 17 days from when a course ends to complete an evaluation, which typically includes two weekends
iii. Reminders are generated from the software systems and students have a calendar invite each Sunday with the appropriate 
iv. Extensions are not given, as changing global settings in the software has resulted in unintended consequences

b. Record Keeping

i. Completion of evaluations is tracked. See Policy 550 for more detail on the consequences of not completing evaluations

c. Survey Burden

i. We recognize that survey burden is an issue for medical students and here’s what we’re doing to alleviate it:

1. Half the class evaluates faculty per block; the other half of the class has the option to evaluate faculty
2. Student research involving surveying medical students is spaced so that students do not receive more than two requests in a two-week period. These surveys are always optional. 
3. Please review Policy 958 to understand the guidelines for surveying medical students at LCOM
4. What faculty should know about Evaluations
a. How to retrieve evaluations for promotion or RTF (?)
5. Moving towards Competency-Based Assessment

4. What faculty should know about Evaluations

a. How to retrieve evaluations for promotion

5. Moving towards Competency-Based Assessment