Abstract:

During last years, we observe a rapid development of the education in the fields of Medicine, Public Health and Health Care in Bulgaria. Innovative elements are introduced in the education. We use multi-media power point presentations, electronic books and e-learning, considering the balance between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. We illustrate the educational material with clinical cases and modern devices (demonstrations in the hospitals and trough educational movies). We apply student-centered approach; elements of program-based learning; contemporaneous methods for motivation of students’ participation; students’ investigations; contemporary methods of evaluation (for periodic control and final assessment).

In this context we created a bank of open and closed questions (one choice and multiple choice) in the field of rehabilitation, and we applied these Internet-based questionnaires in the process of evaluation of undergraduate students (in Bachelor’s and Master’s degree) and of post-graduate students (medical doctors during the training in “Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine”). With these questionnaires (adapted to the correspondent level of competence), we realize periodic and final evaluation of students in different educational disciplines.

The goal of current work was the introduction of computer-based tests in the process of qualitative and quantitative evaluation (and auto-evaluation) of professional competences of students and trainees in the field of pediatric neuro-habilitation (NH) and neuro-rehabilitation (NR).

We created PC-based educational material and tests for objective and adequate qualitative and quantitative evaluation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills – in principal topics of NH and NR: Cerebral palsy (specific disorder in child motor development and central coordination disorder), Obstetrical brachial plexus palsy (proximal or Duchenne-Erb, intermediate paralysis, distal or Dejerine-Klumpke, total brachial plexus paralysis), and Neuro-muscular disorders (Duchenne Muscular dystrophia /MD/, Becker MD, Limb-girdle MD, Congenital MD, Myotonic dystrophy, etc.). We accentuated on functional assessment and principles of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, thermotherapy and electrical stimulations. Special attention was paid to the impact of digitalized assessment and robotic training of the grasp and the gait of patients.

Created tests were used for evaluation and auto-evaluation of students. We construct specific clinical tasks for stimulation of their initiative and participation.
Analysis of results of the assessment of theoretical knowledge and practical skills of students demonstrate a significant increase of the level of competence and of the interest of students to this educational module. Students’ approval of the introduction of e-learning and PC-based tests was satisfactory. According students’ opinion, automatic evaluation is objective and without emotional stress.

In conclusion, we must say that applied tests can assure the development of the education and the transition from the traditional (conventional) education, to an active (open) education and to an electronic learning; with consideration to the reasonable balance between real clinical practice and virtual case presentations.

Keywords:

Education, assessment, evaluation, questionnaire, professional competence, PC evaluation, tests.