Transitioning the in-person certified medical exam to an online exam using Moodle

Japan Geriatric Dentistry Society

The examination venue was gathering candidates and examiners to conduct the certification exam, but it could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, Moodle has been introduced, allowing the exam to be conducted online.

Improvements

・Moodle construction and implementation support
・Manual creation for administrators, reviewers, and participants
・Lectures for administrators and reviewers
・Customer support

Customer Requests

The Japan Society of Gerodontology conducts certification examinations for dentists every year. A "certified dentist" is a dental professional who has acquired basic knowledge and clinical skills necessary for dental care for the elderly.
Until now, the examinations were conducted using poster presentations and written tests. Candidates and examiners gathered at the examination venue, where candidates presented their posters in front of the examiners. However, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, in-person examinations could no longer be held. As a result, the implementation of online examinations was considered, and a learning management system was introduced.

Before using Moodle, exams were conducted by gathering at examination venues. For example, let's say there are 50 candidates. They are divided into several groups to make presentations. Two judges are assigned to each group. The participants give their presentations and engage in a Q&A session.
After that, the judges evaluate and record their assessments on evaluation sheets. Additionally, while listening to the presentations, the two judges create one question each for each candidate. After the presentations, the questions are emailed to the presenters, who write their answers, and the judges evaluate them. The administrative staff collects and checks the results. These processes were carried out using tools like Dropbox and Google Forms.

Improvements

By implementing Moodle, we are now able to conduct online sessions as follows.
Presentations for exams will be conducted via Zoom on Moodle. Two examiners will watch the presentation, conduct a Q&A session, and register the evaluation sheet on Moodle. Examiners will create questions using Moodle's "Assignment" feature and have candidates respond. The examiners will review the responses, determine pass or fail, and notify the administration via Moodle messages. Subsequently, the administration will inform the candidates through Moodle messages.
By incorporating Moodle and transitioning to online formats, we have been able to manage information securely and share it internally. The evaluation methods for examinations have also improved, allowing for more efficient review meetings, and the duration of meetings has been shortened. We feel that it is necessary to continue to creatively utilize Moodle's features in line with the operation of academic conferences.

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Currently, about 30 categories have been created and are being used on Moodle. We are considering using it for the upcoming board elections and are in the process of testing it. We plan to further utilize Moodle.

>> Moodle Implementation Support and Operation Services

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