A Fair Scoring System with Score Calibration to Reduce Evaluator Bias and Question Difficulty in the Student Scientific Olympiad of Health Management

Today, educational systems are vital for social and economic development. In this regard, making fair and accurate assessments of student competencies, particularly in medical sciences, is essential. The purpose of this study is to explain the challenges and necessities of designing a new scoring system in the student Olympiad of health system management and to seek to provide practical and scientific solutions to improve the scoring process and achieve educational justice in this field. This developmental process utilized the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) approach within an innovative Multi-Dimensional Scores Calibration Model (MDSCM). The model comprises seven steps: needs and objectives analysis, scoring system design, anchor point determination, evaluator training, system implementation, analysis and evaluation, and continuous improvement. The process successfully met the defined educational objectives. The novel scoring system, based on score calibration and anchor point adjustments, minimized evaluator discrepancies and question difficulty errors, enhancing scoring accuracy and fairness. Additionally, it empowered evaluators and led to the development of score calculation software. The findings indicated that innovative approaches and calibration techniques can significantly mitigate scoring biases and promote educational equity. This system enables students to showcase their true abilities and fosters a fairer, more efficient educational environment. The achievements of this process can be considered a model for other educational systems and scientific assessments, contributing to the improvement of quality in education and evaluation across various fields.