Strategies for Measuring Advances in Pharmacy Student Learning

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education Research
• Educational Assessment
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Effective evaluation of educational innovations is crucial in pharmacy.
• Existing assessment tools vary in suitability for measuring student learning.
• Research design directly impacts the strength of evidence for learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To offer guidance for designing and evaluating educational research in pharmacy.
• To enhance the capture of evidence regarding pharmacy student learning.
• To inform authors and reviewers on best practices for educational research.

Main Methods:

• Review of assessment tools for educational research.
• Analysis of research design principles.
• Application of Kirkpatrick's levels of training evaluation.

Main Results:

• A diverse range of assessment tools exists, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.
• Appropriate selection of assessment tools is critical for each specific research context.
• Aligning educational research design with study objectives is essential for impact.

Conclusions:

• Selecting research methods aligned with Kirkpatrick's levels strengthens evidence of student learning.
• Improved study design and assessment selection lead to more robust findings in pharmacy education.
• This guidance aims to improve the quality and impact of educational research in pharmacy.