Assessment of a Revised Method for Evaluating Peer-graded Assignments in a Skills-based Course Sequence

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the modified peer-grading process incorporated into the SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, plan) note sessions in a skills-based pharmacy course sequence. Design. Students assessed a de-identified peer's SOAP note in a faculty-led peer-grading session followed by an optional grade challenge opportunity. Using paired t tests, final session grades (peergraded with challenge opportunity) were compared with the retrospective faculty-assigned grades. Additionally, students responded to a survey using 4-point Likert scale and open-answer items to assess their perceptions of the process. Assessment. No significant difference was found between mean scores assigned by faculty members vs those made by student peers after participation in 3 SOAP note sessions, which included a SOAP notewriting workshop, a peer-grading workshop, and a grade challenge opportunity. The survey data indicated that students generally were satisfied with the process. Conclusion. This study provides insight into the peer-grading process used to evaluate SOAP notes. The findings support the continued use of this assessment format in a skills-based course.

Pharmacy students' perceptions toward peer assessment and its use in teaching patient presentation skills

“…A previous study also demonstrated that students found faculty guidance helpful (93%) in the peer assessment of SOAP notes. 9 Our findings were also congruent with other studies in medical and pharmacy education where anonymity was proven to be helpful for conducting peer assessments. 10,15,16 However, concerns could persist even when the process was anonymous.…”

“…In some studies, peer-assessment grades were higher compared to faculty or self-assigned grades. 13,15 On the other hand, Wu and colleagues 10 found that students had similar confidence level in their own skills relative to that of their peers (95% versus 92%) and Storjohann and colleagues 9 found no significant difference between peer assessment versus faculty-assigned SOAP note scores. We hypothesize that conflicting results might be related to students' familiarity with the content being assessed and the amount of training they received.…”

“…Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 12 (2020) T pharmacy education in the classroom and experiential learning settings for various assessments such as drug monographs, clinical documentation, seminar presentations, and history-taking. [7][8][9][10][11] However, there are no published experiences describing the use of this pedagogical strategy to teach patient presentation skills in the classroom setting. There is also a lack of knowledge on how pharmacy students perceive the utility of feedback via peer assessment relative to the traditional approach of providing feedback by teaching assistants (TAs).…”

“…Usefulness of peer assessment Identified mistakes "He/she pointed out things that I missed and gave some comments on the structure of my presentation which helped me a lot" "My peer clearly pointed out the points I missed and was able to give constructive feedback to help improve my presentation" "Clearly pointed out the mistakes and provided some appropriate comments on how to rectify the errors" Identified strengths "My peer gave words of encouragement (e.g., mentioning non-pharmacologic therapy)" "My peer also pointed out good things that I mentioned, even though it was not directly in the rubric, that was very encouraging to see" Encouraged self-reflection "Assessing my peer's presentation provided me fresh insights on what he/she was doing well or aspects that he/she could improve on, I can take these into account when I am doing future presentations" "I realized that I missed out on quite a lot of information for my own patient presentation while I was going through my peer's presentation" Quality of feedback provided in peer assessment Specific and constructive "The comments were specific and let me know exactly what I missed out" "Stated specific areas of improvement" "Provided constructive feedback on the components I may have overlooked and suggested specific areas which I can improve on" Inadequate comments "No incentive for peers to go the extra mile when grading each other's work, the person assessing my presentation did not give much comments aside from the what's in the rubric" "Not specific enough on what I might be lacking in" "Feedback from peers were helpful but not enough" Less critical of mistakes made "I think people were too nice with their comments" "My peer was not harsh enough, not as strict as a professor or my future preceptor would be" either described peer assessment in the context of evaluating written assignments in the classroom or presentations during experiential learning. [9][10][11][13][14][15] Our approach of using peer assessment was practicable. Session two involving peer assessment 8 hours of teaching time and 16 of administrative time from two faculty members which was significantly reduced as compared to 128 hours of teaching time from 12 TAs in session three.…”

Perception of electronic peer review of SOAP notes among pharmacy students enrolling in their first pharmacotherapeutics course

“…Australian and United States studies have reported no significant difference between the SOAP notes scores of students vs. faculty members. 3,4 Many academic institutions have incorporated online learning (e-learning) to foster the notion of lifelong learning as well as to provide students with flexibility and convenience to learn when and where they are most comfortable. Technology has also allowed students to look up information independently and instill responsibility for self-directed learning.…”