Assessment literacy is increasingly recognized as an important concept to consider when developing assessment strategies for courses and programs. Assessment literacy approaches support students in their understanding of assessment expectations and help them both understand and optimize their performance in assessment. In this teaching tip, a model for assessment literacy that builds on the well-known Miller’s Pyramid model for assessment in clinical disciplines is proposed and contextualized. The model progresses thinking from assessment methods themselves to consideration of the activities that need to be built into curricula to ensure that assessment literacy is addressed at each level of the pyramid. The teaching tip provides specific examples at each of the levels. Finally, the relevance of this work to overall curriculum design is emphasized.

PURPOSE: Probe substrates are used routinely to assess transporter function in vitro. Administration of multiple probe substrates together as a “cocktail” in sandwich-cultured human hepatocytes (SCHH) could increase the throughput of transporter function assessment in a physiologically-relevant in vitro system. This study was designed to compare transporter function between cocktail and single agent administration in SCHH. METHODS: Rosuvastatin, digoxin, and metformin were selected as probe substrates of hepatic transporters OATP1B1, OATP1B3, BCRP, P-gp, and OCT1. Total accumulation (Cells+Bile) and biliary excretion index (BEI) values derived from administration of the cocktail were compared to values obtained after administration of single agents in the absence and presence of a model inhibitor, erythromycin estolate. RESULTS: For rosuvastatin and metformin accumulation, the ratio of means [90% confidence interval (CI)] for cocktail to single agent administration was 100% [94%, 106%] and 90% [82%, 99%], respectively. Therefore, the cocktail and single-agent mode of administration were deemed equivalent per standard equivalence criterion of 80-120% for rosuvastatin and metformin accumulation, but not for digoxin accumulation (77% [62%, 92%]). The ratio of means [90% CI] for rosuvastatin BEI values between the two administration modes (105% [97%, 114%]) also was deemed equivalent. The ratio for digoxin BEI values between the two administration modes was 99% [78%, 120%]. In the presence of erythromycin estolate, the two administration modes were deemed equivalent for evaluation of rosuvastatin, digoxin, and metformin accumulation; the ratio of means [90% CI] was 104% [94%, 115%], 94% [82%, 105%], and 100% [88%, 111%], respectively. However, rosuvastatin and digoxin BEI values were low and quite variable in the presence of the inhibitor, so the BEI results were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that rosuvastatin and metformin can be administered as a cocktail to evaluate the function of OATP1B1, OATP1B3, BCRP, and OCT1 in SCHH, and that digoxin may not be an ideal component of such a cocktail.

The use of an automated gesture recognition system to teach the commonly adopted, seven-stage hand hygiene technique to veterinary undergraduate students was evaluated. The system features moderate gamification, intended to motivate the student to use the machine repeatedly. The system records each handwash stage, and those found to be difficult are identified and reported back. The gamification element alone was not sufficient to encourage repeated use of the machine, with only 13.6 per cent of 611 eligible students interacting with the machine on one or more occasion. Overall engagement remained low (mean sessions per user: 3.5, ±0.60 confidence interval), even following recruitment of infection control ambassadors who were given a specific remit to encourage engagement with the system. Compliance monitoring was introduced to explore how students used the system. Hand hygiene performance did not improve with repeated use. There was evidence that the stages—fingers interlaced, rotation of the thumb, rotation of the fingertips and rotation of the wrists—were more challenging for students to master (p=0.0197 to p<0.0001) than the back of the hand and of the fingers. Veterinary schools wishing to use such a system should consider adopting approaches that encourage peer buy-in, and highlight the ability to practise difficult stages of the technique.

In this article, the authors, Catherine Bowl, John Furlong and Caroline Mosley look at the direction the Association's Annual Conference has taken over the past 50 years since the first Conference in Liverpool in 1970. The emphasis is on the mid-1990s to the present day, during which period the authors served as Chairs of BIALL's Conference Committee1.

This article describes a research study undertaken to explore the anticipated effects of graduate education on the clinical practice of midwifery. The author predicts an increase in the number of midwifery graduates because of the continued development of midwifery degree courses, and the fact that midwifery diploma students are being encouraed to undertake post-registration degrees. During an extensive literature search no studies that investigated the benefits of this trend for midwifery education or the profession as a whole were found. Therefore as part of the author's post-registration BSc (Hons) Midwifery studies eight midwives who had accessed this course were selected and tape recorded using a semi structured interview schedule which was formulated by reviewing studies of nursing graduates. Findings explore their experience of undertaking this degree focusing on motives and incentives; positive and negative aspects; the impact on clinical practice and their career goals. Their personal and professional views on mandatory degree courses were included as food for thought only, as there are currently no proposals to introduce mandatory graduate education for midwives.