Computer-based testing: initial report of extensive use in a medical school curriculum.
BACKGROUND
Computer-based digital technology offers many opportunities in medical education. One type of digital technology, computer-based testing (CBT), has potentially wide application in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education.


METHODS
This articles describes the development of CBT in an undergraduate medical curriculum.


RESULTS
An early step in evaluating CBT is to be sure that the exam format is measuring the examinees' knowledge and not their comfort level or confidence with the technology. It is, therefore, important that the CBT reproduce or accommodate traditional test-taking behavior. CBT also provides for a number of enhancements not easily achieved with traditional paper-and-pencil exams. These include easier control and editing of exam items, better incorporation of testing into the learning environment using specific feedback, and enhancing the questions by incorporating multimedia. CBT does present some unique challenges in testing security, and this article discusses the approach to the security issues. In addition, before initiating CBT into a medical curriculum, the institution must understand the technical and infrastructure requirements for CBT.


CONCLUSIONS
By providing a 5-year experience with CBT in the medical curriculum, this article hopes to facilitate discussions among medical educators in its appropriate application and evaluation.
Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, USA. michael.peterson@ucsfresno.edu
Michael W
MW
Peterson
Joel
J
Gordon
Scott
S
Elliott
Clarence
C
Kreiter
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003201:Computers; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012577:Schools, Medical; D014481:United States