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Since there seems to be a desire to focus more on the basics, I thought I would address test taking in the various EMS classes.
According to some instructors, there are no badly written questions. There is always one best, right answer to these questions.
There is one right response to that statement and it is not very polite. OK. There are many possible responses. They are not all impolite, but they should all disagree with the statement.
The people who defend badly written questions, even just disputed questions, are the people who are destroying EMS education.
First, we need to admit that there are badly written questions. Not only are they badly written, but they reteach the material, and they do it in a way that is misleading.
Are badly written questions useless?
Not at all. Badly written questions can be very useful. They are a great opportunity to have a discussion, whether with the entire class, a part of the class, or just an individual, about what is wrong with the question and why.
This is an opportunity to improve the understanding of the students, and maybe the instructor. Passing up this opportunity and defending the question is abandoning our students, just as we might abandon a patient.
Disputed questions may be written intentionally to stir up debate, but they are only useful on a quiz, when you can devote a part of class, or an entire class, to the discussion.
Most of these badly written questions seem to be multiple choice questions. Many are on course completion exams. There will be no further classes, unless the student retakes the class.
Determining whether someone passes a course, based upon a multiple choice exam, is one of the more idiotic things we do in EMS.
The ability to recognize the correct answer - correct according to the person who wrote the test - is not even close to being the same as understanding the material.
The ability to recognize that same correct answer, has nothing top do with competence.
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You know, when I read this my first impulse was to write this long essay on why you are right. So I shortened it. Yes, there are badly written and worded questions, and in my opinion, the ability to recall certain small facts is not an indicator of competence. It is, however, in the manner in which most of the nation's EMS certification/credentialing/
ReplyDeletelicensing exams are written, a major contributor to the "creeping mediocrity" that is so prevalent in EMS in many areas of our country.
9-ECHO-1,
ReplyDeleteYou know, when I read this my first impulse was to write this long essay on why you are right.
Fortunately, I do not need long essays that agree with me. Throngs of adoring women might be nice for a change. ;-)
Thank you.
So I shortened it. Yes, there are badly written and worded questions, and in my opinion, the ability to recall certain small facts is not an indicator of competence.
Not only is it not an indicator of competence, it gets in the way of competence.
When we have people learn various mnemonics, it is to assist them in calling the information to mind. This is useful. On the other hand, if the person can remember a fact, but does not understand the relevance, it does not matter how many facts are able to be recalled.
We have given up on understanding as too difficult to teach and too difficult to assess.
The National Registry seems to have fallen in love with standardized testing as the way to prevent discrimination in testing.
Testing is discrimination.
We need to encourage educators to use their discrimination wisely. We should not prohibit discrimination, just because there are bad kinds of discrimination.
It would be just as foolish to prohibit medications, because they have side effects. We need to understand the side effects and their relevance to that patient. We need to use them when the expected benefits outweigh the risks.
It is, however, in the manner in which most of the nation's EMS certification/credentialing/
licensing exams are written, a major contributor to the "creeping mediocrity" that is so prevalent in EMS in many areas of our country.
Yes. It is not just NR that does this, but they seem to have made this the most important part of the NR ceremony. Calling it a test is giving it too much credit.
To them, the goal is a graduate, who has not been affected by any discrimination. No positive or negative bias. However, no assessment of understanding, either. This is Political Correctness taken to a lethal extreme.
This may be the worst discrimination possible. This is discrimination against patients .