The buzz word for practical courses is validation. Essentially does going on a course lead to improvements – does a course really enhance a trainees dexterity skills. Whilst it is easy to assess how a course improves a trainees knowledge base using formative and summative assessments is more difficult to quantitatively assess dexterity skills especially longitudinally. We have always had formative assessments during our course.
In addition we hold a summative assessment at the end of the course using models the trainees had previously practiced on. Dexterity at performing the task is assessed though this was more qualitative than quantitative.
Our main quantitative measure was how long the task took to perform. In our next course starting on 10th March we will be using tracking software to map trainees’ progress whilst on the course.
Using real instruments in a simulation trainer the movement of instruments will be tracked in real time whilst a trainee is completing either a new task or one previously practiced.
The tracking software allows calculation of amongst other things total distance travelled by each instrument, average instrument smoothness and the differences between dominant and non-dominant hands.
Using these and other parameters we hope to monitor our delegate’s progress and validate the training program by demonstrating quantitative improvements. We are hoping to present the preliminary results at the ESGE in 2016 or BSGE in 2017.
R E Richardson