Objective vs. subjective in assessment Jaime Correia de Sousa, MD, MPH Horizonte Family Health Unit Matosinhos Health Centre - Portugal Health Sciences School (ECS) University of Minho, Braga - Portugal

Objectives At the end of this session the participant will:  Know the definition of assessment  Name the different purposes of assessment  Identify types of assessment  Distinguish the difference between objective and subjective assessment

Definition of assessment Assessment the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.  It is often used in an educational context (to refer, e.g., to the work of institutional researchers), but it applies to other fields as well (such as health and finance). In: Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

Formative and summative assessments Summative Assessment is generally carried out at the end of a course or project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade.

Formative and summative assessments Formative Assessment is generally carried out throughout a course or project Formative assessment is used to aid learning. In an educational setting, formative assessment might be a teacher (or peer) or the learner, providing feedback on a student's work, and would not necessarily be used for grading purposes.

Purposes of assessment

 Judging mastery of essential skills and knowledge  Measuring improvements over time  Ranking students  Diagnosing student difficulties  Evaluating the teaching methods  Evaluating the effectiveness of the course  Motivating students to study Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

Assessment methods The method used should have three basic requirements: 1.Validity – does it measure what it is supposed to measure? 2.Reliability – does it produce consistent results? 3.Practicability – is it practical in terms of time and resources? Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

Types of assessment 1.Essay 2.Short-answer 3.Structured (written) 4.Objective (multiple choice, true- false) 5.Direct observation 6.Oral 7.Structured (practical / clinical) 8.Self-assessment Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

Objective and subjective assessment Objective assessment is a form of questioning which has a single correct answer.

Objective and subjective assessment Subjective assessment is a form of questioning which may have more than one current answer (or more than one way of expressing the correct answer).

Methods that are more Subjective  Essay  Short-answer  Direct observation Checklists Rating forms  Oral Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

Methods that are more Objective  Structured (written) Patient management problem (PMP) Modified essay question (MEQ)  Objective tests Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) True-false, matching  OSCE Newble D, Cannon R. A Handbook for Medical Teachers, 1994

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)  The aim of the OSCE is to test clinical and communication skills  It is designed so that an examiner can observe the student / learner putting these skills into practice.

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) It is an assessment tool in which the components of clinical competence such as  history taking  physical examination  simple procedures  interpretation of lab results  patient management problems  communication  attitude are tested using agreed check lists and rotating the student round a number of stations some which have observers with cheek lists.

Morrison, J. BMJ 2003;326:

Conclusion  A combination of subjective and objective assessment tools can be used  Formative assessment can use more subjective methods that facilitate teacher- learner interaction  Summative assessment requires more objective tests.