Student assessment and learning measurement: The experience of a public Saudi Arabian medical school.

Student Assessment and Learning Measurement: The Experience of a Public Saudi Arabian Medical School Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Professor Date Abstract This paper examines the learner’s evaluation and learning measurement practices at the “College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU)," in Saudi Arabia. It examines the historic background of the school, the implementation of an integrated program, and observance to accreditation principles. By comparing universal and local practices, this paper presents extensive viewpoints into the prevailing approaches to evaluation in the organization. It examines diverse types of evaluations, such as learning assessment, assessment while learning, and assessment for learning. Furthermore, it discourses the role of faculty growth in enhancing assessment effectiveness and addressing challenges, such as limitations in infrastructure and grade inflation. The goal is to explore such influences and offer significant commendations to further improve assessment practices at IMSIU.   Student Assessment and Learning Measurement: The Experience of a Public Saudi Arabian Medical School Assessment and evaluation are vital ideas and elements of any educational activity. These two concepts influence students' learning in medical education. Traditionally, assessment has been utilized to measure the success of learners for certification or selection. However, growing emphasis has been placed on utilizing formative assessment to enhance learning. Medical education explores significant ideas of assessment, the judgment of educational quality, the systematic evaluation of learners, and the qualification of educational outcomes. IMSIU's medical program, established to address local healthcare needs, employs an incorporated curriculum combining basic sciences and clinical training from the initial stages, encouraging a holistic comprehension of medicine. The institution observes the national and global accreditation standards, ensuring high professional aptitude among its graduates. This paper delves into the college’s learner’s assessment and learning measurement practices, comparing them with global standards, and discusses the challenges and approvals for improving the assessment process. Important Terminologies Assessment Assessment in education involves the wide variation of approaches or tools that educators use to evaluate, determined, and document the academic willingness, learning advancement, skill, achievement, or educational needs of learners. Research identifies that if the goal of assessment is to improve learning, the aim of teaching is to simplify it (Vageriya, 2018). Therefore, any specific teaching technique can be broadly applied in health sciences education. However, there must be a technique to measure its product. Such methods include the milestones assessment and the objective structured clinical examinations. Evaluation Evaluation involves observing the performance of individuals, in this case, a medical student. This might be a direct or indirect evaluation to identify the student's position and the quality of education. Various methods are utilized in medical student evaluation, including clinical simulation, a systematic process that comprises the formation of a case scene and handover to learners for further analysis and interpretation. Research identifies that evaluation through simulation helps fill the gap between model and practical medical education, which improves knowledge and skills and increasingly enhances patient outcomes (Vageriya, 2018). Learning Measurement This is a crucial part of assessing student’s performance in medical education. The process involves collecting, organizing, analysing, and utilizing diverse types of information from different sources. Some of best approaches used include summative assessment, carried out at the end of the semester or year to examine the general performance of a student (Vageriya, 2018). It is prepared to determine the point at which the instructional objectives of the course have been realized. History of the College of Medicine at IMSIU The College of Medicine at IMSIU was developed in 2007 and commenced operations in the academic year 2008-2009. The primary objective was to contribute to the transformation of medical education in the Kingdom, leading to the graduation of medical doctors who possess strong problem-solving skills, a dedication to lifetime learning, effective communication capabilities, empathetic caregiving abilities, and sound decision-making abilities (Abdulrahman et al., 2022). The college also intended to offer effective management skills and the capability of learners to lead their communities by responding to emerging healthcare needs. To realize such objectives, the institution engaged in a meticulous and extensive process involving planning, testing, and resting the initial to the entire stakeholders. Since its establishment, IMSIU has underscored rigorous academic standards, ensuring that its curriculum aligns with local and international benchmarks. The institution offers a cohesive curriculum that combines basic sciences with clinical training from the initial stages of the program, nurturing a comprehensive and practical comprehension of medicine (Abdulrahman et al., 2022). Such an approach has been crucial in producing graduates who are not just technically equipped but also morally grounded, with the mission to integrate Islamic values with contemporary medical education. Its dedication to excellence is reflected in the continuous efforts to realize and preserve accreditation from recognized competencies, such as the “Saudi Meds.” Integrated Curriculum The college employs an integrated curriculum that combines basic sciences with clinical training from the early years of medical education, nurturing a holistic comprehension of medicine and allowing learners to effectively apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. The curriculum includes a spiral method that emphasizes crucial topics by rendering them in diverse settings with growing complexity during the year (Siddiqui et al., 2015). Some past aspects are examined, especially in growing aspect at a number of levels. Since IMSIU has assumed a spiral method, knowledge and skills among learners are rising with the developing curriculum every year. The goal of the medical program at the college is to change the focus in education from facts learning to teaching learners the skills that they will require to be effective enduring learners. The curriculum at IMSIU was informed by international medical education authorities and directed towards producing well-rounded medical professionals. It is designed with four separate segments of the medical program, each associated with seven primary outcomes or competencies referred to as the "Saudi Med." Such competencies were extracted from a Working Paper established by the sub-committee of the Saudi Medical Colleges Deans’ Committee. The competencies comprise of the “Scientific Approach to Practice, Patient care, Community oriented practice, Communication and Collaboration, Professionalism, Research, and scholarship” (Abdulrahman et al., 2022). By incorporating such competencies into the curriculum, the college ensures that the graduates are well-prepared to address the complex nature of the healthcare industry and contribute to the ever-evolving issues in healthcare to improve the safety of the community. Accreditation Standards Accreditation is widespread nationally and internationally in medical education colleges. The effectiveness of compliance with accreditation standards has been shown to be positively correlated with the healthcare setting's performance in different aspects, such as professional performance, leadership, organizational culture, and the lasting effect of ensuring patient safety in healthcare industries (Alasmari et al., 2017). Based on the recent reports on IMSIU's endeavors to realize the standards of institutional quality assurance authorities, the college obtained full institutional accreditation (until 2026) from the “Education and Training Evaluation Commission” characterized by the “National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation” (Alasmari et al., 2017). Such initiatives will help the college to encourage knowledge exchange and international communication and contribute to the creation, production, and distribution of medical information. Furthermore, IMSIU has suggestively allied its curriculum, learning outcomes, and assessment approaches with the demanding needs of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialities (SCFHS) and other global accrediting bodies. For example, research reveals that for IMSIU to achieve the necessities of quality and academic authorization, it established a system of administration and academic accreditation at the college (Alasmari et al., 2017). The system aimed to describe the organizational structure of the quality systems in the institution and its branches. To ensure that the system realizes its objective, it had to consider the general context of the "Saudi Higher Education Institutions" and their trends founded on the knowledge economy and the "Kingdom Vision 2030," together with the strategic plan of IMSIU vision and mission, which aims for excellence and universality (Alasmari et al., 2017). Background Current Practices Globally The art and science behind medical education and training have evolved significantly in medical education. Teaching and learning have developed to be more methodical and demanding, and the curricula in global settings are founded on sound and pedagogical standards, problem-based, and other systems of active and self-directed education. Reports show that for the last three decades, medical ...