Workshop 11: Developing Assessments: How Different Question Types Promote Retention, Critical Thinking, & Problem-Solving
Tracks
Track 1
| Monday, July 13, 2026 |
| 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM |
Details
This interactive workshop aims to provide participants with strategies and best practices for developing assessments for pharmacology in preclinical undergraduate medical education (UME). Participants will be presented with the various formats used to assess learners’ knowledge, including quizzes, multiple-choice questions (MCQs), open-ended questions (OEQs), one-liner tests, and research-based questions in integrated curricula in UME. We will conduct small group activities to allow participants to discuss each of these approaches, and the benefits/challenges of the ones they use in their teaching. Participants will discuss the use of case studies and/or clinical scenarios and their role in integrating basic and clinical sciences. We will include discussions on the use of artificial intelligence and third-party platforms in creating pharmacology assessments. We will address the importance of continuous improvement in item development, including how different formats can be effective for pharmacology retention, application of basic science knowledge to therapeutic applications, and problem-solving.
Speaker
Stephen Schneid
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Evidence Based Assessment and Reassessment Design: Approaches for Pharmacology Education
Biography
Steve Schneid is the Director of Educational Development and Scholarship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. He also founded the UC San Diego (UCSD) Team-based Learning (TBL) program for the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He received his Master of Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois, at Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine, and has over 20 years of experience in health professions education. He has been using TBL for several years in his teaching of postbaccalaureate premedical students, prematriculation medical students, first and second-year medical students, and second-year pharmacy students at UCSD. His research interests and expertise are focused on assessment, with an emphasis on multiple-choice testing and standard setting.
Prof Kelly Quesnelle
School of Medicine Greenville University of South Carolina
Reassessment: Challenges and Benefits of Various Assessment Formats in Pharmacology Education
Biography
Kelly Quesnelle is a Clinical Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville where she leads the faculty responsible for the foundational science curriculum. Dr. Quesnelle is the Executive Director of the Medical Education Research Incubator in Greenville, and she has previously held other leadership positions in medical education including Course Director and Curriculum Committee Chair. She serves on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Medical Science Educators and is a member of the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies at the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Prof Joe Blumer
Medical University Of South Carolina
Maximizing Learning: Effective Use of Quizzes and MCQs in Pharmacology
Biography
Joe Blumer is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine. He is the Theme Leader for the Molecules, Metabolism, and Therapeutics (MMT) theme, Course Director for the Respiratory/Renal/Acid-Base course, Course Co-director of the Cardiovascular course, Director of the Academic Coaching Program, and Director of the USMLE Step 1 Program at the MUSC College of Medicine. Dr. Blumer serves on the Executive Committee and as past-Secretary/Treasurer for the Division for Pharmacology Education for the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). He also represents ASPET on the AAMC-Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (AAMC-CFAS) and serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Dr. Blumer is a Distinguished Teaching Scholar in the MUSC Academy of Medical Educators, a Fellow of the ASPET Academy of Pharmacology Educators, and has received numerous teaching awards.
Prof Marieke Kruidering
University Of California San Francisco
Short-Answer Assessment Techniques: Designing Questions That Reveal Learner Understanding
Biography
Her position is dedicated to pharmacology education, including curricular development, oversight & teaching in the schools of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry. She serves in curricular leadership roles, including course director for Support and mentoring programs for students at risk. She teaches faculty development workshops on small group teaching, critical reflection and writing open ended exam questions at UCSF and at national and international meetings. Her current research interests are in assessment, reflective skills, DEI and innovation in pharmacology educational methods, including AI. She serves as co-chair of the Haile Debas Academy collaboration with the Aga Khan University (AKU), located in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom.
Prof John Szarek
Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Data-Driven Remediation: Using Assessment Results to Guide Personalized Interventions
Biography
John L. Szarek, BPharm, PhD, is a Professor of Pharmacology and Vice Chair of Phase 1 Curriculum Operations at Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine in Scranton, PA, USA. He oversees the day-to-day implementation, scheduling, coordination, and resource management of Phase 1 of the Total Health Curriculum. In addition to teaching pharmacology, he is involved in various educational research activities, and his work has been shared with peers through regional, national, and international presentations at multiple professional conferences, as well as several peer-reviewed publications. Szarek is a Fellow of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Academy of Pharmacology Educators and is involved with several IUPHAR Education Section initiatives, including co-directing the Pharmacology Education Project.
Session chair
Naunihal Zaveri
Orlando College Of Osteopathic Medicine
