Can artificial neural networks provide an "expert's" view of medical students performances on computer based simulations?

Abstract Artificial neural networks were trained to recognize the test selection patterns of students' successful solutions to seven immunology computer based simulations. When new student's test selections were presented to the trained neural network, their problem solutions were correctly classified as successful or non-successful > 90% of the time. Examination of the neural networks output weights after each test selection revealed a progressive increase for the relevant problem suggesting that a successful solution was represented by the neural network as the accumulation of relevant tests. Unsuccessful problem solutions revealed two patterns of students performances. The first pattern was characterized by low neural network output weights for all seven problems reflecting extensive searching and lack of recognition of relevant information. In the second pattern, the output weights from the neural network were biased towards one of the remaining six incorrect problems suggesting that the student mis-represented the current problem as an instance of a previous problem.