The Post Graduate Medical Education (PGME) Office at the University of Toronto uses the POWER system to electronically track learner registration and assessment data. There are three main evaluations that are facilitated through POWER: the resident-in-training evaluations, rotation evaluations and at least one teacher evaluation. This data is used to assess learner performance, to improve the educational experience and to support teacher promotions.
Since the inception of the POWER system in 2004, there have not been any changes to the evaluation tools. In 2014, the PGME Office began developing a mobile evaluation application to modernize the evaluation tool and to increase evaluation rates and learner response time.
The POWER vendor Knowledge for You provided PGME with a prototype based on a mobile evaluation application developed for Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of Toronto. The prototype was circulated to a group of Program Directors, learners and administrative staff. Feedback was applied to the prototype and the application was released into the quality assurance environment for further testing by faculty, learners and administrators.
The application is scheduled to be delivered into the production environment for the 2014/2015 academic year. Beta testing feedback from learners indicates a positive reception for this application. An evaluation of the application will be conducted after it has been launched for a year to determine the impact on evaluation rates and learner response time.
Of Interest to: Post-secondary education, Instructional designers, Researchers, Educational technologists, Administrators
Procedure Log Acknowledgement : This project was completed with support from the Postgraduate Medical Education Vice Dean Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, POWER Steering Committee Chair Dr. Kevin Imrie, Director of Policy and Analysis Caroline Abrahams, Director of Operations Loreta Muharumha and with contributions from User Support Services Officer Khush Adaita and Medical Education Coordinator Natali Chin.
Mobile Evaluations Acknowledgement: This project was completed with support from the Postgraduate Medical Education Vice Dean Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, Associate Dean Dr. Glen Bandiera, Director of Policy and Analysis Caroline Abrahams, Director of Operations Loreta Muharumha and with contributions from User Support Services Officer Khush Adaita and Medical Education Coordinator Natali Chin.
