Use of Concept Maps as an Assessment Tool in a Pathophysiology Course

The aim of this study was to determine, in a group of medical students, whether the acquired knowledge in Pathophysiology was comparable when assessed using a concept map based test, with MCQ’s embedded (CM test) or a traditional context-free MCQ test (MCQ test) and to evaluate the feasibility of implementing CM test as an assessment tool. CM tests consisted of incomplete concept maps, with concepts left blank for the students to fill in, choosing the correct answer among five possible options. The same questions were used to produce two traditional context-free multiple-choice tests one on the pathophysiological mechanisms of liver cirrhosis and the other on circulatory shock One hundred and eleven volunteers were allocated in two groups: Group 1 (n=56), performed a liver cirrhosis CM test and a MCQ test on circulatory shock and Group 2 (n=55) performed CM test circulatory shock and a MCQ test on liver cirrhosis. Both groups performed better in CM tests (cirrhosis test score: 49.2 %; circulatory shock test score: 51.1%) than in MCQ tests (cirrhosis and circulatory shock scores: 42.9%) and were able to complete the tests within the scheduled time (15 minutes for each part of the test. These results support the relevance of applying CM tests in the evaluation of the students in a Pathophysiology course using concept maps as learning tool.