Dario Cecilio-Fernandes1, Wouter Kerdijk2, A D Debbie C Jaarsma1, René A Tio1,3. 1. a Center for Education Development and Research in Health Professions (CEDAR), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands. 2. b Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, Department of Public and Individual Oral Health, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands. 3. c Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Beside acquiring knowledge, medical students should also develop the ability to apply and reflect on it, requiring higher-order cognitive processing. Ideally, students should have reached higher-order cognitive processing when they enter the clinical program. Whether this is the case, is unknown. We investigated students' cognitive processing, and awareness of their knowledge during medical school. METHODS: Data were gathered from 347 first-year preclinical and 196 first-year clinical students concerning the 2008 and 2011 Dutch progress tests. Questions were classified based upon Bloom's taxonomy: "simple questions" requiring lower and "vignette questions" requiring higher-order cognitive processing. Subsequently, we compared students' performance and awareness of their knowledge in 2008 to that in 2011 for each question type. RESULTS: Students' performance on each type of question increased as students progressed. Preclinical and first-year clinical students performed better on simple questions than on vignette questions. Third-year clinical students performed better on vignette questions than on simple questions. The accuracy of students' judgment of knowledge decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: The progress test is a useful tool to assess students' cognitive processing and awareness of their knowledge. At the end of medical school, students achieved higher-order cognitive processing but their awareness of their knowledge had decreased.
BACKGROUND: Beside acquiring knowledge, medical students should also develop the ability to apply and reflect on it, requiring higher-order cognitive processing. Ideally, students should have reached higher-order cognitive processing when they enter the clinical program. Whether this is the case, is unknown. We investigated students' cognitive processing, and awareness of their knowledge during medical school. METHODS: Data were gathered from 347 first-year preclinical and 196 first-year clinical students concerning the 2008 and 2011 Dutch progress tests. Questions were classified based upon Bloom's taxonomy: "simple questions" requiring lower and "vignette questions" requiring higher-order cognitive processing. Subsequently, we compared students' performance and awareness of their knowledge in 2008 to that in 2011 for each question type. RESULTS: Students' performance on each type of question increased as students progressed. Preclinical and first-year clinical students performed better on simple questions than on vignette questions. Third-year clinical students performed better on vignette questions than on simple questions. The accuracy of students' judgment of knowledge decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: The progress test is a useful tool to assess students' cognitive processing and awareness of their knowledge. At the end of medical school, students achieved higher-order cognitive processing but their awareness of their knowledge had decreased.
Authors: Dario Cecilio-Fernandes; Harro Medema; Carlos Fernando Collares; Lambert Schuwirth; Janke Cohen-Schotanus; René A Tio Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2017-11-09 Impact factor: 2.463
Authors: Dario Cecilio-Fernandes; Wytze S Aalders; André J A Bremers; René A Tio; Jakob de Vries Journal: J Cancer Educ Date: 2018-10 Impact factor: 2.037