Impact of self-assessment by students on their learning.

CONTEXT: Tutor assessment is sometimes also considered as an exercise of power by the assessor over assesses. Student self-assessment is the process by which the students gather information about and reflect on their own learning and is considered to be a very important component of learning. AIM: The primary objective of this study was to analyze the impact of self-assessment by undergraduate medical students on their subsequent academic performance. The secondary objective was to obtain the perception of students and faculty about self-assessment as a tool for enhanced learning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was based on the evaluation of two theory tests consisting of both essay type and short answer questions, administered to students of the 1(st) year MBBS (n = 89). They self-assessed their performance after 3 days of the first test followed by marking of faculty and feedback. Then, a nonidentical theory test on the same topic with the same difficulty level was conducted after 7 days and assessed by the teachers. The feedback about the perception of students and faculty about this intervention was obtained. RESULTS: Significant improvement in the academic performance after the process of self-assessment was observed (P < 0.001). There was a significantly positive correlation between student and teacher marking (r = 0.79). Both students and faculty perceived it to be helpful for developing self-directed learning skills. CONCLUSIONS: Self-assessment can increase the interest and motivation level of students for the subjects leading to enhanced learning and better academic performance, helping them in development of critical skills for analysis of their own work.

Effect of Prolonged Use of Mobile Phone on Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials.

OBJECTIVES: Mobile phones are being widely used throughout the world. Electromagnetic waves generated from mobile phones have raised concerns as these may have adverse effects on human auditory system owing to the daily use of mobile phones. The purpose of current study was to evaluate the effects of long term mobile phone usage on auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional, case control study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital. Total 100 healthy subjects aged 18 to 30 years of both the genders were selected, out of which 67 subjects were long-term GSM mobile phone users (using mobile phone for more than 1 year) and 33 were controls who were mobile phone non users. Both the groups were investigated for ABR and changes were studied in both the ears of cases and controls to ascertain the effects of electromagnetic exposure. RESULTS: No significant difference (p>0.05) was found in latencies, interpeak latencies and amplitudes of ABR waves between cases and controls. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that long term usage of mobile phones does not affect propagation of electrical stimuli along the auditory nerve to auditory brainstem centres.

Footdrop in the farmers in punjab: a retrospective electrodiagnostic study.

AIM: This study was performed to find out the occurrence of the common footdrop which was due to peroneal nerve palsy in the farmers in Punjab, India. METHODS: This study consisted of 100 male subjects of which 50 were farmers (who were aged between 20 to 50 years), who were suffering from a unilateral foot drop and 50 were normal, healthy, age matched controls who were not involved in farming activities. The nerve conduction parameters (the nerve conduction velocities, latencies and amplitudes) of the common peroneal nerve and the tibial and the sural nerves were measured distally at the ankle and proximally at the knee on both the lower limbs of the subjects. RESULTS: On comparative evaluation, the data showed a significantly reduced conduction velocity and amplitude on the affected side as well as on the contralateral side in the common peroneal nerve of the farmers as compared to those in the controls. The F wave latency was increased in both the limbs of the farmers in comparison to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The patients presented with a unilateral footdrop which was due to peroneal palsy, but a decreased peroneal nerve conduction was observed on the contralateral side as well. Thus, it suggested the involvement of the common peroneal nerve bilaterally. The position of sitting during harvesting or weeding was also important in inducing footdrop along with the type of the hand activity, because of occurrence of the footdrop on the side of the dominant hand.