Evaluating the accuracy of health news publications in a drug literature evaluation course. (41/836)

OBJECTIVES: To design an assignment for second-professional year pharmacy students to assess the accuracy and quality of health information published in the news. DESIGN: Students in a literature evaluation course were assigned a health-related news publication to review and find the original published research article. They then critically evaluated the quality and accuracy of the news publication based on the original research. All students wrote a critique focusing on the quality and accuracy of the news article and potential responses the lay public might have. ASSESSMENT: Eighty-four percent of students agreed the writing assignment reinforced critical literature evaluation skills, while 90% agreed the assignment contributed to completion of course objectives. CONCLUSIONS: A writing assignment requiring comparison of a news publication to the original research reinforces critical literature evaluation and communication skills, as well as stimulates thought about the accuracy, quality, and public responses to health information published in the news.  (+info)

"Blogging" about course concepts: using technology for reflective journaling in a communications class. (42/836)

OBJECTIVE: Web log technology was applied to a reflective journaling exercise in a communication course during the second-professional year at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, to encourage students to reflect on course concepts and apply them to the environment outside the classroom, and to assess their communication performance. DESIGN: Two Web log entries per week were required for full credit. Web logs were evaluated at three points during the term. At the end of the course, students evaluated the assignment using a 2-page survey instrument. ASSESSMENT: The assignment contributed to student learning and increased awareness level for approximately 40% of the class. Students had few complaints about the logistics of the assignment. CONCLUSION: The Web log technology was a useful tool for reflective journaling in this communications course. Future versions of the assignment will benefit from student feedback from this initial experience.  (+info)

Development of an instrument to measure professionalism. (43/836)

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate an instrument that measures professionalism among pharmacy students and recent graduates. METHODS: A pharmacy professionalism survey instrument developed by a focus group was pretested and then administered to all first-year pharmacy students enrolled in the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and to recent pharmacy graduates who were taking the preparation course for the Georgia Pharmacy Law Examination and North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with each of 32 items using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: One hundred thirty first-year pharmacy students and 101 pharmacy graduates participated in the survey. Statistical analysis identified 6 factors (subscales), which were later named excellence, respect for others, altruism, duty, accountability, and honor/integrity, the 6 tenets of professionalism. Item to total correlations ranged from 0.25 to 0.57 on the 6 factors (subscales), and reliability estimates ranged from 0.72 to 0.85 for the 6 factors and total scale. CONCLUSIONS: The Pharmacy Professionalism Instrument measures the 6 tenets of professionalism and exhibits satisfactory reliability measures. Future studies using this scale in other pharmacy populations are needed.  (+info)

A quantitative assessment of a medicinal chemistry problem-based learning sequence. (44/836)

OBJECTIVES: To establish an aggressive problem-based learning (PBL) format for the medicinal chemistry course and assess the outcomes of student learning. METHODS: To assess learning in the new format, precourse and postcourse examinations were given to students enrolled before and after problem-based learning was implemented, and appropriate statistical analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The PBL cohort did not learn the same amount of factual content yet performed the same on higher-order thought questions as the non-PBL cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Problem-based learning may not be the ideal method for teaching medicinal chemistry. This may be due to several factors including: student learning type, the lack of a cognitive framework for learning in the basic sciences, and time constraints.  (+info)

Using performance-based assessments to evaluate parity between a campus and distance education pathway. (45/836)

OBJECTIVES: To compare the performance of campus-based students with that of distance students during the first 2 years of a doctor of pharmacy program to evaluate parity between the pathways. METHODS: Twelve cases were created for each year of the program along with performance criteria. The cases were converted into computer-based simulations for programmatic assessment at the end of the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years. All first-professional year (P1) and second-professional year (P2) students participated in the assessments. Overall class means were calculated and used to compare student performances between campus and distance education pathways. RESULTS: Overall scores for the 2003 P1 class were 56.4% for the campus-based students and 62.4% for the distance students, (p = 0.002); overall scores for the 2003 P2 class were 48.8% and 55.5%, respectively (p < 0.0001). The 2004 overall scores for P1 campus and distance students were 59.0% and 65.7%, respectively, (p = 0.001); and for 2004 P2 scores the results were 51.8% and 56.5%, respectively (p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Students receiving their pharmacy education via a distance pathway scored higher on performance-based assessments compared with students receiving their pharmacy education via the traditional campus-based pathway. This indicates that distance students are receiving at least an equivalent curricular experience in the P1 and P2 years compared to that received by campus-based students.  (+info)

Instructional model to teach clinically relevant medicinal chemistry. (46/836)

The relevance of medicinal chemistry to pharmacy practice has been questioned by many pharmacy educators as more emphasis has been placed on linking clinical knowledge and practice to pharmacy student educational outcomes. Faculty teaching in medicinal chemistry and other biomedical and pharmaceutical science courses have embraced this challenge. Various teaching methods and approaches within medicinal chemistry that emphasize application of this knowledge have been sought to improve the usefulness of this scientific discipline to the future careers of students. The newly revised ACPE guidelines and standards have reemphasized the role of the sciences in the curriculum. With this mandate, it is essential that all science faculty members adjust the way they teach to meet the new desired outcomes for pharmacy graduates. This manuscript describes an instructional model for teaching medicinal chemistry explicitly designed to meet these outcomes. A process of collaboration between experienced pharmacy faculty scholars was used to derive this approach. Pedagogy for cognitive and affective learning was incorporated. A case study using a representative drug class is presented to illustrate this model.  (+info)

Development of progressive oral presentations in a therapeutics course series. (47/836)

OBJECTIVES: To develop and implement a series of progressive evidence-based, oral presentation activities within the therapeutics series to strengthen interprofessional oral communication and literature evaluation skills. DESIGN: A step-wise progression of oral presentations was created to establish interprofessional communication skills and reinforce such skills in successive modules. Students progressed from a basic oral presentation to a brief clinical trial presentation, followed by a full journal club, culminating with a therapeutic debate. Guidelines and assessment tools were developed for each presentation focusing on style, content and organization, and analytic approach. Feedback was obtained from students and faculty members through the administration of survey instruments at the midpoint of advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). ASSESSMENT: The majority of students successfully completed each oral presentation. Most felt prepared for APPE presentations due to increased Microsoft PowerPoint skills, literature exposure/evaluation, and comfort/confidence in presenting before an audience. Faculty members stated that the innovation organized students' thoughts and increased presentation clarity, resulting in less need to offer student assistance during APPEs. CONCLUSION: Our progressive approach to oral presentations has been successful and well received by students and faculty members. Our innovation has fostered oral interprofessional communication skills in our pharmacy students, and we will continue to utilize this approach.  (+info)

Effect of students' perceptions of course load on test anxiety. (48/836)

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the association between student perceptions of course load, their ability to manage time, and test anxiety. METHODS: A survey was self-administered to all students (professional years 1 through 4) enrolled in the PharmD curriculum at the University of Houston (2001) with items measuring test anxiety, perceived course load, and ability to manage time. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-eight students participated in the survey (response rate P1 = 48%, P2 = 52%, P3 = 52%, P4 = 72%). There was a significant difference in students' perception of course load, ability to manage time, and test anxiety scores across the 4 years. Test anxiety was positively correlated with students' perceptions of course load and negatively related to their ability to manage time with course work. CONCLUSIONS: Students' perception of course load and their ability to manage time with their course work is associated with test anxiety. Future studies should evaluate the role of stress/time management programs to reduce stress and anxiety.  (+info)