pbz Posted February 8, 2006 Posted February 8, 2006 Partners, I am an officer & EMT on a fire dept. We have typically run an EMT-B class every couple of years for our new FF's. Background information for those who are unfamiliar with Illinois, there was a problem with the state's testing process and we didn't have an EMT class for a few years. Now they're up and running again but they are using the National Registry exam. Problem: Our first class through on the NR system, only 1 student passed. If you were the EMS coordinator or if you were responsible for oversight of the class (managing the instructors, responsible for the students, etc.) -- what questions would you ask, to try to understand why this happened, and what we can do to not have the same experience again? It certainly looks bad for the instructor, but, as an officer I believe it also makes the Dept look bad and puts future programs in jeopardy. It also hurt us by prolonging a staffing shortage. I would like input from other instructors on what could potentially cause such a failure rate and/or what questions to ask of the students and the lead instructor. The instructors are all experienced paramedics who have taught classes before with OK results. The students have complained that there were many many questions on the exam about AED's and they only glossed over AED usage in class. To me, questions about AED usage ought to be softball questions that can be hit out of the park....
AnatomyChick Posted February 8, 2006 Posted February 8, 2006 PBZ.... Believe it or not, it's not unusual for states who are new at administering the NR Exam to have VERY LOW pass rates the first time around. As an instructor I can tell you that 80% of what I teach in the classroom is how to pass the test... not specifics, but I teach my students what areas will be emphasized, and exactly what will be expected of them in the Practical testing station(s).... Sadly you have to learn to teach the test... As we've discussed here NUMEROUS times (just do a search for NR Testing).... it's not adequate or even fair to our students to teach just the test, but for those who have just come out of State Testing, it takes a while to learn how to teach students to pass the NR exam... it is a tricky little exam, and considering that most of our students have been out of the traditional classroom for quite sometime, it's difficult to learn how to take an exam that you have to second guess yourself on... I hope that made sense.. I'm tired... PM me if you need any clarification.
Dustdevil Posted February 8, 2006 Posted February 8, 2006 Basically, schools are going to have to address this in their own teaching and testing methods. Your own written exams should reflect the style of NR by making them situational. Same thing with your classroom methods. Students should be presented with a scenario or two to support each and every concept they learn. Rote memorization of facts simply wasn't cutting it in EMS education, and now NR is exposing that weakness. The best I can recommend is to make all of your instruction, both didactic and practical, scenario based. Make your students feel that everything they learn is part of a total patient scenario and not just an isolated, meaningless piece of info. So long as they know the information, and are used to thinking in terms of patient care, any intelligent student should do fine. Although, firemen may not do as well. :wink:
Ridryder 911 Posted February 8, 2006 Posted February 8, 2006 To add to Dusts's statement, I highly suggest having students take a variety of type of tests, test scan-tron (little dot) and computer tests. Since the NREMT is going to computer base in the near future, it would be helpful for the student to be familiar on taking these type of test with these as well. I agree with Dust's, look at scenario based questions as using stem key type of questions and multiple grouping type of questions as well. Questions with pertinent negatives such as all above, except, most correct should be used as well. Multiple choice question should used as often as possible. The answers should have one obvious wrong, one suggestive and then two that could be possibly correct. The answer should be as much a textbook answer as possible. May I suggest to also check in to test center banks such as Mosby, Brady, which has similar tests on a computer bank that one can purchase. Be safe, R/R 911
gurneyjock Posted January 8, 2007 Posted January 8, 2007 I have been teaching for 10 months and currently have a 95% pass rate. In my classes I STRESS airway management! I stay true to the national standard curriculum and stress airway management. Which text did you use?
DwayneEMTP Posted January 8, 2007 Posted January 8, 2007 I'm not an instructor, but I believe you can teach the material and the test. I went through a two month academy and we were responsible for all the material in the book. In class we had standard tests each class, labeling for anatomy, simple physiology essay questions etc. that I found very challenging. But we were also responsible for an online test each week that was fashioned after the NR test. It was open book, timed, but if you failed you needed to call the instructor to have it reset. So you could take it as many times as necessary, but you had to pass it before coming to Thurs. nights class. Looking back I can see that these tests had very little value except prepping for the National Registry. When I finaly sat for the NR, it was pretty anticlimactic, as the question format had already been addressed over 300 times in my online exams... Mike Messina is the Director of EMS at Hancock College, Santa Maria CA, He may be able to give you info on the online testing we used. I believe it made a huge difference...Each of us that sat the NR passes first time through. Hope that helps. Have a great day! Dwayne
AnatomyChick Posted January 8, 2007 Posted January 8, 2007 I have used many textbooks in my time as an Instructor. My favorite by far is the "Orange Book".... AAOS Emergency Care of the Sick and Injured (published by Jones & Bartlett).. and no, I receive no compensation for my plugs of their products. They also have a fantastic CE Program with texts and support materials, and bar none the best EMT Refresher text on the market. Jo
KExnicios Posted March 4, 2007 Posted March 4, 2007 [/font:27d73deccc] Hi, I use to be a National Registry State Tester for La. and i'm currently a state instructor. 2 questions for you? what part of the National Test did the students fail, ie: didactic / practicals or both. What method of evaluations did you use to measure student progress. here we quiz students every 2 - 3 classes and 1 night a week we do nothing but practicals. Also, what background or your instructors, i know you said paramedic but are they teaching over the basic level. We also use a program for testing from Knightlite Software which has excellent questions based on the Brady Textbook and the questions mimic national registry style. Hope this helps, Kim
Savoy6 Posted April 28, 2007 Posted April 28, 2007 PBZ.... Believe it or not, it's not unusual for states who are new at administering the NR Exam to have VERY LOW pass rates the first time around. As an instructor I can tell you that 80% of what I teach in the classroom is how to pass the test... not specifics, but I teach my students what areas will be emphasized, and exactly what will be expected of them in the Practical testing station(s).... Sadly you have to learn to teach the test... As we've discussed here NUMEROUS times (just do a search for NR Testing).... it's not adequate or even fair to our students to teach just the test, but for those who have just come out of State Testing, it takes a while to learn how to teach students to pass the NR exam... it is a tricky little exam, and considering that most of our students have been out of the traditional classroom for quite sometime, it's difficult to learn how to take an exam that you have to second guess yourself on... I hope that made sense.. I'm tired... PM me if you need any clarification. Hi Jo, 80% teaching the test leave 20% information. In EMS education we cannot "teach the test" anymore.The student's test will be tailored to THEM by the computer algorithm. WE as an industry should be teaching the NSC and what they need to deliver patient care. If a pass rate suddenly drops, look at the test methods you use, how you teach, whay type of test questions you use. Remember, there are no more multiple question scenario on CAT, the student can't go back and time is not a factor like it was. We are seeing a state pass rate that is slightly higher than last year. Now that is for all attempts and only 4 months of data. At our last conference here, most instructors said the pass rate was higher for their class. Once said it dropped drastically. That instructor went on to explain several institutional problems that I would say caused that drop, not the CAT test. 4 months is new. You'll never be able to teach the test, use test questions that are mutliple choice and increase your difficulty. if yor unit exams are shooting low, you'll miss that tareget. Raise the bar, challenge the student. It is not an instructors job to pass all students. it's our job to produce patient care providers. Not everyone can pass. BTW, not picking on you. But you used a satement I hear many times. You know how to reach me. pardon the spelling errors, early and my cup of Joe is empty
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