MedEdPORTAL (Aug 2013)
Critical Synthesis Package: Script Concordance Testing (SCT)
Abstract
Abstract This Critical Synthesis Package contains: (1) a Critical Analysis of the psychometric properties and application to health sciences education for the Script Concordance Test (SCT), and (2) a copy of the SCT instrument and SCT Overview developed by Bernard Charlin, MD, PhD. The SCT provides a method for assessing clinical data interpretation skills. This method uses a written simulation item format to allow respondents to address ill-defined problems typical to clinical practice. The examinee is presented with ill-defined clinical scenarios. These scenarios are then followed by a set of hypotheses. For each hypothesis the examinee is provided with an additional piece of information. The examinee is then required to make judgments as to the likelihood of the hypothesis by selecting a Likert-type response option. Points awarded for the examinee's concordance with the judgments are provided by a panel of expert judges. The SCT has been used across many clinical domains and with examinees of varying levels of clinical experience. Research on the SCT has identified guidelines for developing quality test items. An advantage of using this item format is the use of expert panels to analyze and compare examinee responses. Disadvantages to using this item format include the lack of validity evidence for the response process and the complexity of the scoring process. Further research is needed to determine how best to use the SCT to improve teaching and learning, and to evaluate the thought process that is used in responding to the SCT items. Additionally, research is needed to identify how best to use examinee scores diagnostically. Current research has not obtained validity evidence for the use of scores to prescribe educational interventions to increase examinee knowledge.
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