Impact of Transitioning a Senior Seminar Capstone Course to an Intensive Hybrid Course

Abstract

To compare outcomes (grades, resources, and perceptions) from a weekly in-person seminar capstone course (pre-course change group) to an intensive hybrid course design that included a two-day in-person conference (10 and 25minute student presentations) and asynchronous seminar skills sessions (post-course change group). Methods. Students' scores on seminar presentation rubrics were compared pre-and post-course change. Resources such as number of faculty and hours of involvement, and student time away from Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) were compared between groups. Student and faculty satisfaction and perception were also assessed. Comparisons between groups were made using independent t-tests or Chi-Square tests. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize student performance and survey responses. Results. Three-hundred seventy students, 205 (pre-course change) and 165 (post-course change), were included. There was no significant difference in mean overall scores for the 25-minute presentation between groups; however, the postcourse change group had significantly lower scores on the objectives and slides subscores and significantly higher critical analysis subscores. The survey was completed by 82% of faculty and 43% of students from the class of 2018. A majority of students (80%) found all of the asynchronous sessions helpful and 70.6% preferred the intensive hybrid course format. Compared to the weekly format, all faculty reported student presentations were similar or better in quality and workload was similar or decreased with the intensive hybrid format. Conclusion.The senior seminar capstone course change to an intensive hybrid design reduced faculty workload and decreased student time away from APPEs, while maintaining similar presentation grades and quality.