Comparison of student performance by assessment through Objective Structured Practical Examination versus the Conventional Method for second year MBBS students in Microbiology

Objective Structured Practical Examination(OSPE) is a comprehensive tool for assessment. We wanted toimprove our assessment methods and make it a more competencebasedevaluation. Thus this study was designed to compare theeffectiveness of Objective Structured Practical Examination withthat of Conventional Practical Examination. This interventional study was carried out in Departmentof Microbiology at CIMSH, Lucknow over six months fromOctober 2019 till March 2020. One hundred second year MBBSstudents were enrolled. The students were divided into twogroups of fifty for the conventional examination group (controls)and the OSPE group. On the first day, the cases appeared forOSPE while the controls for conventional examination. On thesecond day, the groups were crossed over. The students appearingfor OSPE were assessed by their scores at different stations.Feedback forms with a pre structured questionnaire were given tothe students and the examiners after OSPE on both days to recordtheir perceptions. Finally, the students’ scores were tabulated andcompared statistically. Microsoft Excel and SPSS were used fordata analysis. The data was presented as percentages, mean andstandard deviation. Student t test was used and the significancewas checked, using P value <0.05. Overall in OSPE, the students scored higher and theresult was statistically significant. The proportion of studentsin higher marks range was more for OSPE than that for theconventional method. The difference was statistically significant(P<0.001). Feedback taken from examiners as well as from thestudents in the form of a structured questionnaire to analyze theirperceptions was very encouraging. OSPE is a comprehensive assessment modality forpractical evaluation of MBBS students. OSPE proved to be aneffective tool that improved the students’ scores in microbiology.