Premium
Assessment of problem‐solving ability
Author(s) -
MARSHALL J.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1977.tb00623.x
Subject(s) - section (typography) , field (mathematics) , computer science , disease , cognitive psychology , artificial intelligence , mathematics , psychology , operations research , medicine , pathology , pure mathematics , operating system
Summary It is recognized that no problem solving can take place without a background knowledge. As the highest marks in PMPs are now being consistently achieved by those candidates who arrive at the correct diagnosis without accumulating excessive information and at the same time avoiding irrelevant or incorrect data the PMP may be measuring efficiency in problem solving ability. This would appear to be substantiated by the fact that reasonable correlations are obtained between each candidate's remarks in problems of widely differing system disease patterns. The mark allocation is such that the problem solving ability relates to the field of general practice and no detailed specialist knowledge of any particular disease pattern is being measured. In measuring problem solving ability it is advisable to allocate a maximum positive mark for each section, this mark being the total of that awarded for information considered necessary to solve the particular problem. Any negative marks scored must be taken from the maximum positive mark allowed and not from the total positive score obtained, which may be considerably more than the former. In this way the efficient performer is appropriately rewarded whilst the more devious data gatherer is appropriately penalized.