Hi,
@Mary Hauser-
I was the NBME Executive Chief Proctor (ECP) for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. As
@Penny Schnarrs mentions, our school moved into a new building in January 2018 that includes an square-shaped active learning space with 24 9-person triangular-shaped tables. Additionally, there are two large lecture halls (one of 220 seats and the other of 440), along with a computer lab with 100 workstations. The Jacobs School has ~180 students per class, so the students are able to really spread out in the 440-person space and the proctors can easily monitor them from the front/back of the room and the aisles. Prior to my tenure as ECP, our NBME exams were exclusively held in the computer lab on school workstations. When I took over as ECP, I led the charge to move the NBME exams into the lecture hall with students using their own devices. However, we would reserve the computer lab space as a backup option for students who had insurmountable technical issues.
We held a few pre-clinical/non-NBME exams in the active learning room with some success. Many of the students with whom I spoke did not care for that exam setting (versus the usual lecture hall routine) because of the lack of space to spread out and the ease at which they could be distracted by people across the room. Some students also reported feeling like the lecture hall more closely mimicked the setting they would expect when taking Step 1/Step 2.
From a proctoring point of view, we needed to walk around the active learning room much more than in the lecture hall because of all the odd angles. No matter our position in the room, it felt like our backs were always turned to someone. That said, to answer your question, we never took a deep dive into meeting the NBME proctoring requirements for that space because of the other spaces available to us and the students' stated preferences.
I definitely prefer the linear layout of a lecture hall or computer lab versus the large open space of an active learning room for holding exams.
I hope that helps!
Kevin
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Kevin Hittle
Digital Learning Designer
Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-14-2022 09:39
From: Penny Schnarrs
Subject: NBME Testing in Active Learning Theaters
@Alan Lesse and others from Buffalo have redesigned active learning space that may be similar to your active learning theater and may be a good connection.
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Penny Schnarrs
Virtual Communities Program Manager
Association of American Medical Colleges
Original Message:
Sent: 05-10-2022 10:55
From: Mary Hauser
Subject: NBME Testing in Active Learning Theaters
Hello,
UNC will open our new medical education building and active learning theater in the fall of 2023. The active learning theater is an oval-shaped room that will accommodate 230 students at round tables. To community members with similar learning spaces on your campuses, have you found a way to meet NBME proctoring requirements (e.g. line of sight for proctors, student spacing etc.) in active-learning spaces with circular tables? Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide.
Best,
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Mary Hauser
Senior Director for Curricular Affairs
The University of North Carolina
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