Effectiveness of conducting online objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in anatomy among first year medical undergraduates

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of conducting an online OSPE (Objective Structured Practical Examination) in Anatomy for first year medical students.

Material and Methods: Following a 2-week prior notice, 222 first-year medical undergraduates who had undergone exclusively online learning for one semester, were subjected to an online OSPE conducted via conferencing platform. Subsequently, student feedback was obtained via a google form regarding exam environment, prior preparation, clarity of images, and technical problems faced during the exam. SPSS Version 25 was used for descriptive analysis and one-sample T-test was used to compare the results with a previous batch that underwent onsite face-to-face teaching and examinations.

Results: Satisfaction with images of gross anatomy specimens, radiographs, and histology slides were 48.2%, 90.5%, and 76.6% respectively. A majority agreed that the OSPE helped them to improve their knowledge (92.8%) and intrigued interest in the subject, motivating them to study (83.8%).

Compared to a previous batch that underwent onsite teaching and examination, the performance of the students in this group was significantly lower (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The lower performance of the students faced with the online OSPE may be due to learning anatomy only using online platforms hindering the three-dimensional understanding of Anatomy, short preparation time, and inexperience at facing online examinations. Even though technology-based learning and examination techniques have developed with the recent COVID 19 pandemic, it cannot yet replace the traditional methods in teaching and examination in Anatomy. However, this study shows that conducting online examinations is feasible with only 34.7% of students reporting minor technical difficulties.