Evaluating effectiveness of neurobiology teaching for psychiatric trainees using familiarity ratings: a new method of course evaluation for a rapidly advancing field

Abstract

A new method for assessing the effectiveness of neurobiological teaching for psychiatrists is described. Operationalized ratings of familiarity with neurobiological concepts derived from recent conference keywords were assessed before and after a teaching module. This evaluation was applied to a sample of trainees in Hong Kong. It was found that after the course, there was a broad improvement in familiarity with a large proportion concepts. The evaluation method is simple, efficient, externally referenced as well as capable of responding to new knowledge.