The use of microfiche in testing clinical judgment

This paper reports an investigation of the use of microfiche to replace other more bulky clinical materials in testing clinical judgment. Twenty-three students were administered two versions of tests of clinical judgment (micro-fiche and nonmicrofiche) regarding the treatment of partial edentulism. Each student served as both experimental subject and control. Results indicated that under the conditions of testing used, students preferred the nonmicrofiche version of the test. However, there was no significant difference in time of administration or grades resulting from the microfiche medium. Whether the test was given first or fourth in a series of five made a difference in time to take the test (p less than .01), and in the grade received (p less than .01). Tests taken in the first position took more time to complete and resulted in a higher grade. The rate of agreement in grading between the first and second grading session was 70 percent.