title: Comparative assessment of students' performance and perceptions on objective structured practical models in undergraduate pathology teaching.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessment is an important factor that drives student learning, as students tend to mainly focus on the material to be assessed. The current practice in teaching pathology extensively applies objective-structured practical examination for the assessment of students. As students will have to deal with real patients during clinical years, it is preferred that students learn and practise via potted specimens and slides instead of picture plates. This study aimed to assess the preferred assesment method of pathology practical exercises.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional survey carried out in two consecutive batches of Phase 2 medical students. Student competency was assessed using both the traditional (TD) (i.e. use of potted specimens and slides) and picture plate (PP) methods. To compare the two assessment methods, we compared the mean scores obtained by the students and examined student perception of the two methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean scores obtained via the PP method were significantly higher than those obtained via the TD method for almost all the components tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that students performed significantly better (p < 0.05) when assessed using the PP method instead of the TD method. PP preparations might provide better visuals, thus aiding understanding, than the TD method. The findings of this study are valuable in identifying and improving our current teaching and assessment methods of medical students, in line with advancements in information technology.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Quest International University Perak (QIUP), No. 122A, Jalan Haji Eusoff, Off Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainon, 30250 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia. lavenderhtwe@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Than Than
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Htwe
authors.forename: Sabaridah Binti
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Gary Kim Kuan
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Low
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010336:Pathology / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards*; D010465:Perception; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires