Efficacy of Faculty Development Training Workshops (FDTWs) on Writing High-Quality Multiple-Choice Questions at Northern Border University (NBU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

TL;DR

This study examines how training workshops affect the ability of university faculty to create high-quality multiple-choice questions for medical education.

Contribution

The study introduces a faculty development training workshop model to improve MCQ construction skills in medical education.

Findings

83.2% of faculty believed the workshop could reduce MCQ construction errors.

Participants agreed that multiple workshops are needed for lasting improvements in MCQ construction.

Short, one-day workshops alone are insufficient for achieving training objectives in MCQ writing.

Abstract

Background: A multiple-choice question (MCQ) is a frequently used assessment tool in medical education for both certification and competitive examinations. Well-constructed MCQs impact the utility of the assessment and, thus, the fate of the examinee.

Aims and objectives: To analyze the basic science faculty perceptions of writing high-quality MCQs, to create awareness of item-writing flaws in constructing high-quality MCQs, and to determine the impact of faculty development training workshops (FDTWs) on MCQ writing skills.

Material and methods: An online workshop was held over two weeks for basic science faculty to learn high-quality MCQ construction. Faculty-made MCQs were analyzed for flaws, and a questionnaire assessed the impact of the workshop on MCQ construction. Pre- and post-workshop responses were compared to evaluate the necessity of such workshops for improving faculty skills in MCQ assessments.

Results: A total of 47 (83.2%) of participating faculty believed the workshop could reduce MCQ construction errors. The participants agreed that a series of workshops were needed for lasting improvements in MCQ construction.

Conclusions: One-day short-duration workshops, such as the current one alone, cannot achieve the objectives of training participants to write high-quality MCQs. To improve student assessment through high-quality MCQs, the faculty needs to be exposed to continuous and frequent sessions that will help them.

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