© 2020 College of American Pathologists. All rights reserved.

CAP20 SAM Faculty Instructions Getting Started

Welcome

Thank you for agreeing to author a Self-Assessment Module (SAM) for your CAP20 presentation!

Agenda

SAM OverviewCAP Annual Meeting SAMs Requirements

Anatomy of a SAM Posttest Question

Posttest Requirements and Guidelines

Creating your SAM posttest

Development Timeline

Next Steps

Resources

Objectives and Target Audience

• These instructions are intended for any faculty that is including a SAM posttest for their CAP20 live session.

• It focuses on the processes, posttest requirements, and timelines for developing your SAM posttest.

• If you course is a repeat, your CAP Learning support staff will contact you with tasks and timelines.

• Faculty participating in one of the 2020 ‘Embedded SAM courses’ (you’ll know if you are) will be contacted directly as to their tasks and timeline.

CAP annual meeting SAMs requirements• Number of questions per hour of CME

• Internal CAP Learning review onlyo Note: If you want a peer review, you will need to arrange for it and

collect the Disclosure Statement(s) from any peer reviewers of your course.

Duration Number of Questions

Number of CME/SAM Credits

1 Hour (Mxxxx) 4 1.25

2 Hours (Sxxxx) 8 2.50

3 Hours (Hxxxx) 12 3.75

Posttest requirements• Each question can have 4 (recommended) or 5 answer options.

o Number must be consistent for all questions.

• Only the correct option requires feedback.• Minimum one of the four questions must be application-based. For

example: o Application: “Given the following information, determine the Gleason Score for patient X.”

• No true/false questions allowed, eg, ‘Which of the following is correct?’ (ABPath requirement)

• No negative questions allowed, eg, ‘Which of the following is incorrect?’ (ABPath requirement)

• Only one correct answer allowed. o No “K-type” questions, eg, answer options include none of the above, a and b, etc. (ABPath

requirement)

Anatomy of a SAM posttest: QuestionsThe question – two parts:

Guidelines for writing your questionsThe best posttest questions mimic those used in certification exams and have the following characteristics:• Use clinical scenarios that focus on problem solving and interpretation (NBME

format), avoiding excess verbiage.• Test important material, avoiding “picky” facts.• Test for an accepted answer, not an opinion.• Avoid non-standard abbreviations and jargon.• Avoid absolutes and vague adverbs: always, often, frequently.• End with: “Which is the most likely…?” (or similar phrase).• Have a single correct answer.

o (ie, Do NOT end with: “All of the following (are true) except...”

Examples of well-written SAM questions

• “This image is from an FNA of a 2 cm parotid mass in a 38-year-old female patient. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis for this case?”

• “A pleural effusion from a 51-year-old woman reveals cells with discrete, “targetoid” intracytoplasmic lumens containing mucin. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis for this case?”

• “Review the image provided (photo shown) for cells found on a Pap test from a 45-year-old woman. Which of the following best describes the features present in the cells for this case?”

Anatomy of a SAM posttest: Answer options

Answer Options: • Concise and direct• Stand on their own; not

dependent on other options; Never uses “All of the above” or “None of the Above

• Homogeneous, or of the same kind

• Consistently 4 or 5 options throughout a course

• Only ONE best answer

Guidelines for constructing answer options• Requires a minimum 4 answer options:

o Keep these SHORT. If options are long, try rephrasing the question stem.o Must include same number of choices for all questions in the posttest (four

recommended; five acceptable)o Avoid having the correct answer the longest length as this clues the test-takers. o If there is repetitive language introducing each option, move the language to the

question stem.

• Homogeneous options, independent of other questions and answer options, and do not overlap.

• Options are stated in the positive. • Plausible choices: avoid jargon, dubious, vague options.• Avoid absolutes like “always” and “never”. • Target a SINGLE best answer!

Developing and reviewing your posttest

• CourseBuilderhttp://ocatp.medialabinc.net/samauthor/login.aspx

• Take a second now to test your access.

• If your institution blocks this link or you otherwise cannot access your course via this link, your CAP Learning support can offer other ways for you to provide your content.

Creating your SAM posttest

Repeat•Review evaluation data•Validate questions•Submit to assigned CAP Learning staff for review

•Revise as needed•Final validation of questions and answer key

New (CourseBuilder)•Develop content•Draft question in CourseBuilder•Send to assigned CAP Learning staff for review and proofing

•Revise as needed•Final validation of questions and answer key

Reviewing your PosttestThere are three primary reasons a test item may not perform well:1. It is not scored correctly.

• It is critical that you confirm that the correct answer option has been tagged as “correct.”

2. The question or answer options are confusing or unclear. • It is critical that only a single answer option can be interpreted as the

best choice.3. The relevant content was not adequately covered in the live session.

• Live sessions can be challenging – be sure you cover all material required for your learner to successfully complete the posttest

SAM development timelineThe CAP Learning staff person assigned to support your course will contact you via email. If you prefer, staff could arrange a kickoff call. The goals of this kickoff call would be to:

1. Introduce your CAP Learning support person2. Communicate key milestones and instructions3. Communicate roles and responsibilities4. Provide access credentials to your posttest5. Answer any questions

We have more flexibility to work around schedules if we know of conflicts well in advance. Please review your calendar with your assigned staff person during the kickoff call and identify any conflicts.

• Participate in the kickoff call/Review the milestones provided by staff• Confirm number of questions required (1 hr. – 4, 2 hr. – 8, 3 hr. – 12) • Begin drafting your course and posttest questions

o Be sure questions are aligned with the objectiveso Minimize your revisions by ensuring your session content is stable

• Create posttest; ensure all elements are included:o SAM questions (scenario and question stem)o Answer options (4 vs. 5)o Images, provide separate file for each image – high resolution, prefer PNG format) o References (minimum one per question; AMA reference style)o Identify one learning objective to link to each question

• Submit posttest to assigned staff for review.

Resources Available

• CourseBuilder Guide (online tool)– Included in ID Welcome email, along with access credentials

• SAM Posttest Checklist (New | Repeats)• Faculty Website

– CAP20 SAM Faculty Instructions - Getting Started (this PPT)– Instructions for SAM Authors– Anatomy of an Annual Meeting SAM

• Your assigned CAP Learning staff!– Please contact assigned staff if you have questions or tech issues.

Thank You