THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (OSPE)-BASED SETTING VERSUS CONVENTIONAL PRACTICAL IN ENHANCING KNOWLEDGE AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Introduction:
Flipped classroom is currently adapted in the medical curricula where students are required to prepare for class activity by utilizing technology to gather knowledge and subsequently to engage in teamwork to solve cases and practice problems during classes. Objective Structured Performance Evaluation (OSPE)-based setting is one of the innovation in flipped classroom to enhance teaching and learning experience in replacing a conventional practical.

Objectives:
To evaluate the effectiveness of OSPE-based setting versus conventional practical in enhancing medical students’ knowledge in Medical Biochemistry.

Methods:
Teaching materials were uploaded on University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) learning platform, iFolioTM a week before the session started. Students are required to read the materials and watch videos in preparation. There were 10 OSPE stations which consist of questions on gene mutations and mutational analysis. Forty groups of Year One Medical students (4 students per group) participated in this study and they were required to answer every station. Each station must be completed within 10 minutes. Marks were collected at the end of the session and their experience were collected through online questionnaire. Subsequently, students’ performance were tracked at the end of module examination.

Results:
Among 40 groups participated in the OSPE session, the mean of the total marks scored is above 80. Majority of the students agreed that OSPE mode of learning medical biochemistry in replacement of practical mode increased their understanding on genetic mutations and mutational analysis and they are more prepared for the end of module examination. Their average marks increased in the end of module exam (68.4 ± 11.6) when compared to the previous session (59.3 ± 10.4).

Conclusions:
Flipped classroom and OSPE mode of learning can enhance and improve medical students’ interest in learning and their self-learning abilities. It is an effective teaching model that needs to be further studied and incorporated in medical school setting.