Faculty development programs (FD) prepare the faculty for their educational role and career tasks. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FDP in advancing the quality of short-answer questions (SAQs). This was a quasi-experimental study, comprising 37 new faculty. The SAQs were examined on psychometric analysis and Bloom's cognitive levels for the two educational blocks of 1st medical year (i.e. Musculoskeletal (MSK) and Renal blocks). We found substantial improvement in the discrimination index values of SAQs prepared after the workshop (p = 0.04). A higher number of SAQs with moderate difficulty and higher discrimination were also observed. Flaws within the post-workshop questions were reduced (3.0%) when compared with pre-workshop (12.5%). The major incline was also reported within Bloom's cognitive levels when pre-workshop K2 questions (30%) were compared with post-workshop (45.5%) with a p-value = 0.05. The SAQs constructed by the faculty member without participating in FDP are generally of unsatisfactory quality. After the FDP the assessment items of two blocks improved for various parameters of student assessment. The current study advocates that newly joined faculty shall be provided with the FDP to be guided, trained and supported for improving the quality of assessment through SAQs items writing.
A study of the kinetics and performance of solvent-yielding batch fermentation of individual sugars and their mixture derived from enzymic hydrolysis of sago starch by Clostridium acetobutylicum showed that the use of 30 g/L gelatinized sago starch as the sole carbon source produced 11.2 g/L total solvent, i.e. 1.5-2 times more than with pure maltose or glucose used as carbon sources. Enzymic pretreatment of gelatinized sago starch yielding maltose and glucose hydrolyzates prior to the fermentation did not improve solvent production as compared to direct fermentation of gelatinized sago starch. The solvent yield of direct gelatinized sago starch fermentation depended on the activity and stability of amylolytic enzymes produced during the fermentation. The pH optima for alpha-amylase and glucoamylase were found to be at 5.3 and 4.0-4.4, respectively. alpha-Amylase showed a broad pH stability profile, retaining more than 80% of its maximum activity at pH 3.0-8.0 after a 1-d incubation at 37 degrees C. Since C. acetobutylicum alpha-amylase has a high activity and stability at low pH, this strain can potentially be employed in a one-step direct solvent-yielding fermentation of sago starch. However, the C. acetobutylicum glucoamylase was only stable at pH 4-5, maintaining more than 90% of its maximum activity after a 1-d incubation at 37 degrees C.