Abstract:BackgroundDistance-based continuing education opportunities are increasingly embraced by health professionals worldwide.MethodsTo evaluate the online component of a blended-learning degree program for pharmacists, we conducted a structured self-assessment and peer review using an instrument systematically devised according to Moore's principles of transactional distance. The web-based platform for 14 courses was reviewed by both local and external faculty, followed by shared reflection of individual and aggreg… Show more
“…These include enhanced structural elements such as detailed course activity schedules and deadlines (with communicated reminders), model answer availability before and after assessments, high levels of instructor or resource personnel responsiveness (to course material questions or technological concerns) and, when possible, content extension to mobile technology platforms (to permit flexible access outside the home). Student perspectives reinforce prior findings of a structured peer and coordinator assessment of our BLE courses identifying opportunities to increase salience and synergies between asynchronous and on‐campus content . Indeed, of paramount importance to students was the ability to practice application of relevant skills and knowledge and receive feedback in a face‐to‐face setting.…”
Pharmacists enrolled in BLE advanced pharmacy practice courses in Qatar identified barriers and facilitators like those experienced by professional learners elsewhere. However, we found that instructional design and communication approaches merit some special consideration for Arab students for optimal engagement in BLE.
“…These include enhanced structural elements such as detailed course activity schedules and deadlines (with communicated reminders), model answer availability before and after assessments, high levels of instructor or resource personnel responsiveness (to course material questions or technological concerns) and, when possible, content extension to mobile technology platforms (to permit flexible access outside the home). Student perspectives reinforce prior findings of a structured peer and coordinator assessment of our BLE courses identifying opportunities to increase salience and synergies between asynchronous and on‐campus content . Indeed, of paramount importance to students was the ability to practice application of relevant skills and knowledge and receive feedback in a face‐to‐face setting.…”
Pharmacists enrolled in BLE advanced pharmacy practice courses in Qatar identified barriers and facilitators like those experienced by professional learners elsewhere. However, we found that instructional design and communication approaches merit some special consideration for Arab students for optimal engagement in BLE.
“…The part-time PharmD program is designed as a blendedlearning experience, whereby enrolled students access course content in a distance-based fashion, but attend on-campus sessions to interact with faculty and classmates one evening each month of the semester for activities which complement the web-based content, as well as conduct some live assessments. 8 Assessments for all professional skills courses delivered in the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate PharmD bridge curriculums were inventoried. The number and nature of assignments and exams were reviewed and any that were administered to both student cohorts were identified and aggregate class scores recorded.…”
Objective. To determine professional skills development and its utility among the "bridge" curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students in the Middle East. Methods. Qatar University College of Pharmacy offers a part-time Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program for licensed pharmacists, which includes pre-internship or "bridge" courses adapted from the undergraduate baccalaureate program. Assessments for all professional skills courses delivered in the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate part-time PharmD curriculums between 2011 and 2015 academic years were inventoried. The number and nature of assignments and exams administered to both student cohorts were identified and aggregate class scores recorded. Results were compared using Mann-Whitney tests for non-parametric continuous data with significance level (2-sided) set at a ,.05. Results. Twenty-seven common assessments were conducted over a 5-year period. Overall, the performance between the undergraduate and graduate students was comparable except for specific assignments and in certain cohorts. Chart note documentation skills were poor among part-time PharmD students in both professional skills years and may be attributed to lack of prior instruction or current use in practice. Conclusion. Our comparison of graduate and undergraduate student performance in a professional skills course series has reinforced its legitimacy in our part-time PharmD bridge curriculum. Such quality assurance is relevant for programs offering advanced degree training for licensed professionals to ensure ongoing alignment of student abilities with desired educational outcomes and ultimately, delivery of patient care.
“…Increasingly, medical and health professions educational programs are adopting e-learning as a supplement to existing face-to-face curricula or as a stand-alone course delivery model [1–3]. E-learning is a broad term indicating the incorporation of internet technologies within a wide variety of course models [4], from web-enhanced, to blended, to fully online courses.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), adoption of e-learning models is critical to actualizing the ‘Learning Health System’ of the future [9,10]. While existing literature offers advice on supplementing existing coursework with internet technologies [11], creating fully online healthcare-related courses for senior medical students [1], and evaluating the online portion of a blended pharmacist continuing medical education course [3], little guidance is actually provided on designing a fully online program of study in medical or health professions education. Yet, these professions can benefit from educational scholarship on the design of distance education.Figure 1.Example of initial course sequence for 7-week intensive curricula.
…”
Intensive courses (ICs), or accelerated courses, are gaining popularity in medical and health professions education, particularly as programs adopt e-learning models to negotiate challenges of flexibility, space, cost, and time. In 2014, the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership (CRL) at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences began the process of transitioning two online 15-week graduate programs to an IC model. Within a year, a third program also transitioned to this model. A literature review yielded little guidance on the process of transitioning from 15-week, traditional models of delivery to IC models, particularly in online learning environments. Correspondingly, this paper describes the process by which CRL transitioned three online graduate programs to an IC model and details best practices for course design and facilitation resulting from our iterative redesign process. Finally, we present lessons-learned for the benefit of other medical and health professionsʼ programs contemplating similar transitions.
Abbreviations: CRL: Department of Clinical Research and Leadership; HSCI: Health Sciences; IC: Intensive course; PD: Program director; QM: Quality Matters
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