Debbie Vaughan and Jana Brady
Boston University School of Medicine

Virtual Microscopy (VM)
Our journey to VM
Demo: virtual microscopy
Pedagogical enhancements made possible by VM
Summary of Why VM? Pedagogical Advantages, Disadvantages,
Student opinions
ExamSoft® Computer-based Exams (CBE)
Our journey to CBE
What can it do? and How do we do it?
(with sample screenshots; Demo available)
Summary of Why CBE? Pedagogical Advantages, Disadvantages,
Student opinions/ourcomes

Traditional order: lecture laboratory

th
Improved order: laboratory lecture

Summer 2006
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
Fall 2009
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
Begin investigation of Bacus
™
VM system
Preparation (servers, contract, $$, selection, syllabus,…)
Bacus
™
VM begins
-teaching modified
-sessions held in library computer classrooms
Pilot VM with laptops
BUSM students required to have laptops
-L2 classrooms remodeled and designed for laptop use
-students use laptops for Bacus
™
VM
Preparation for NDP VM (feasibility, negotiations, contracts,…)
Replaced Bacus ™ VM system with NDP VM system
Fall 2012

vm
After less than five years with the Bacus ™ VM system, we had to replace it.
Demonstration: http://busmnz.bumc.bu.edu

Digitized Images:
• can be viewed at 9 levels of magnification
• can be dragged along the x- and y- axes, and sometimes ‘focused’ along the z-axis

Current teaching sequence:
:
Discussion Session
(interactive)
Lecture
BUSM computer lab: Students can easily work together.

SmartSync  permits the synchronization of computers.
Turning Point ® ARS quiz assures the self-study is completed before
Discussion.
SmartBoard 
Interactive
Whiteboard encourages student presentation and participation.

Interactive small group Discussion Sessions are encouraged in medical school.

Histology Discussion Sessions: L2 classrooms designed for laptop use

Practical Exams: students view annotated slides (questions) in NDP and enter answers in Blackboard 8

Virtual Microscopy
Why?
• Inadequate glass slide collection
• Increasing expense of materials distribution and upkeep
• Limited availability of microscopes and slide sets
Pedagogical advantages:
• Improved histological material
• Students continue to develop ability to analyze and interpret material
• Learning curve for interpreting material faster without microscope
• Ability to divide laboratory exercises into self-study followed by interactive discussion sessions
Disadvantages:
• Histological material is identical for all students
• Students do not use microscopes
Student feedback:
• Value study anywhere and anytime where internet available (incl. iPad)
• Efficient and effective system for group study
• Can capture images and label for review, consultation, and study

Virtual Microscopy (VM)
Our journey to VM
Demo: virtual microscopy
Pedagogical enhancements made possible by VM
Summary of Why VM? Pedagogical Advantages, Disadvantages,
Student opinions
ExamSoft® Computer-based Exams (CBE)
Our journey to CBE
What can it do? and How do we do it?
(with sample screenshots; Demo available)
Summary of Why CBE? Pedagogical Advantages, Disadvantages,
Student opinions/ourcomes

Fall 2009
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
Discover ExamSoft
® at AAMC annual meeting
Preparation (due diligence; explore vendors; contracts; $$...)
BUSM students required to have laptops
Pilot ExamSoft
® with GMS Histology students on-going preparation with MED administration and faculty
Use ExamSoft
® in four BUSM I courses
Fall 2012 Most BUSM I and II courses will use ExamSoft
®
CBE

ExamSoft
®
Computer based Exams:
• Exams may be secure or not secure
• Variety of questions—MCQ,T/F, essay, Fill-in-blanks—are possible
• Questions, and MCQ choices, can be completely or partially randomized
• High quality images and video can be included and can be manipulated
• Time limit is set for each exam; elapsed time and time warnings can be set
• Navigation panel shows which questions answered and unanswered
• Examtakers can cross out choices

About
Home Page: register students; monitor students and exams; email options
SofTest: the exam (exam taker’s view)
• exam takers download software that is automatically updated
• exam takers download encrypted exam
• with password, computer enters secure mode with access only to exam
• at completion of exam, answers are automatically uploaded with internet connection
SofTeach-Web: exam construction
• database of questions to use in the exam; variety of question types
• questions tagged by customizable categories: e.g., topic, cognitive level, author, USMLE category, clinical type, etc.
• construct exam
• set security levels, details of release, and other controls
• email communication with exam takers
SofScore Web: scoring exam
• statistics: by exam taker, by category, by exam, by question
• grading
• customize released results; can email to students

About
Home Page: register students; monitor students and exams; email options
SofTest: the exam (exam taker’s view)
• exam takers download software that is automatically updated
• exam takers download encrypted exam
• with password, computer enters secure mode with access only to exam
• at completion of exam, answers are automatically uploaded with internet connection
SofTeach-Web: exam construction
• database of questions to use in the exam; variety of question types
• questions tagged by customizable categories: e.g., topic, cognitive level, author, USMLE category, clinical type, etc.
• construct exam
• set security levels, details of release, and other controls
• email communication with exam takers
SofScore Web: scoring exam
• statistics: by exam taker, by category, by exam, by question
• grading
• customize released results; can email to students

MCQ with high resolution image that can be moved or resized and navigation panel.

MCQ illustrating cross-out function, and “alarm” panel for timing

About
Home Page: register students; monitor students and exams; email options
SofTest: the exam (exam taker’s view)
• exam takers download software that is automatically updated
• exam takers download encrypted exam
• with password, computer enters secure mode with access only to exam
• at completion of exam, answers are automatically uploaded with internet connection
SofTeach-Web: exam construction
• database of questions to use in the exam; variety of question types
• questions tagged by customizable categories: e.g., topic, cognitive level, author, USMLE category, clinical type, etc.
• construct exam
• set security levels, details of release, and other controls
• email communication with exam takers
SofScore Web: scoring exam
• statistics: by exam taker, by category, by exam, by question
• grading
• customize released results; can email to students

Database of entered questions:
Questions categorized by topic folder, item description, categories, creator, type, and if previously used, by biserial score, date used, and difficulty.

Create an exam
Open folder
Two unused questions are selected…
…and added to the exam being created.

About
Home Page: register students; monitor students and exams; email options
SofTest: the exam (exam taker’s view)
• exam takers download software that is automatically updated
• exam takers download encrypted exam
• with password, computer enters secure mode with access only to exam
• at completion of exam, answers are automatically uploaded with internet connection
SofTeach-Web: exam construction
• database of questions to use in the exam; variety of question types
• questions tagged by customizable categories: e.g., topic, cognitive level, author, USMLE category, clinical type, etc.
• construct exam
• set security levels, details of release, and other controls
• email communication with exam takers
SofScore Web: scoring exam
• statistics: by exam taker, by category, by exam, by question
• grading
• customize released results; can email to students

question #1

Exam Takers’ results can be customized for reports, and release

Why?
• All professional exams (e.g., USMLE exams) are computer-based
• Sustainability: reduce paper use
• Cost basis is per student, not per exam
Pedagogical advantages:
• Ability to track student performance by categories, such as topic, cognitive level, type of question
• Ability to track question stats and design exam by various categories you set yourself
• No apparent negative effect on grades
Disadvantages:
• Initial software glitches
• Space for giving exams to class of 180 students
Student feedback:
• Most students see value of CBE
• Students appreciate ability to track performance by categories
• Generally students prefer ExamSoft to paper exams

%
“I prefer ExamSoft to paper and pencil exams”
%
“ExamSoft was easy to use”

Deborah W. Vaughan, PhD
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, BUSM dvaughan@bu.edu
&
Jana Brady, MS
Education Technologist, BUSM janbrady@bu.edu
NDP: busmnz.bumc.bu.edu
ExamSoft: www.examsoft.com