Online OSCE in pharmacy education: Strategies to preserve academic integrity of high-stakes assessment

Abstract

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a highly valued performance-based competency assessment that is extensively employed in medical and health professions education. In pharmacy undergraduate programmes, OSCE is an integral component of the curriculum, constituting both formative and summative assessments of the course. When the COVID-19 pandemic posed an overarching challenge in the delivery of face-to-face teaching and learning activities, academic institutions around the world ineluctably transitioned to online mode of education. Conducting OSCEs on virtual platforms presents its unique set of challenges. In the absence of physical isolation and invigilation of students, the risk of cheating and collusion is particularly high during virtual OSCEs. With the experience of conducting high-stakes OSCEs on virtual platforms at two different campuses simultaneously, the authors outline several strategies that can be implemented to ensure the academic integrity of the assessment.