Oral assessments; Knowledge and perception of faculty in undergraduate dentistry program

Abstract

Vinuth Dhundanalli Puttalingaiah, Poonam Agarwal

Objective: Medical education globally constitutes formative and summative assessments. Oral examination is an integral part of assessment used to assess various learning domains; conventional oral assessment has been criticized for its reliability and validity. Hence, with the changing trends, emphasis is given on structured oral assessments (SOE). The aim of this study is to know the knowledge and perception of faculty on oral assessments. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was designed, and faculty members of dentistry program participated. Result and statistical analysis: A total of n = 45 faculty members participated in the survey. Descriptive data were presented in the form of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the response scores between the genders. Chi-square test was used to test the association between the gender and study responses. Conclusion: The structured oral assessment was the most preferred type, but time and student willingness were the major barriers. All five domains of Bloom’s taxonomy along with knowledge and interpersonal skills can be successfully assessed by SOE. There is a need for periodic faculty workshops to help them implement the newer trends in teaching and learning.