Adaptive objective structured clinical examinations across a pharmacy curriculum

Adaptive learning in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) allows real-time modification of cases, creating personalized learning trajectories tailored to individual student performance.

To describe and evaluate the implementation and perceptions of adaptive OSCEs throughout a pharmacy didactic curriculum.

Pharmacy students in their first through third (P1, P2, P3) professional years participated in an adaptive OSCE specific to their respective course content. Students completed a baseline OSCE, followed by an OSCE for remediation or advanced practice based on performance. Students and faculty then completed anonymous surveys evaluating perceptions and students completed a knowledge assessment. The primary endpoint was to compare student and faculty perceptions of adaptive OSCEs. The knowledge assessment was utilized as a secondary endpoint to quantify learning.

A total of 185 students participated in adaptive OSCEs, with 153 (82.7%) completing anonymous surveys and 118 (63.8%) completing the knowledge assessment. Completion rates of surveys and knowledge assessments ranged from 73 to 98% and 60 to 70%, respectively among cohorts. Students and faculty had similar levels of agreement that adaptive OSCEs prepared students to assess appropriate therapy (85% vs 80%), answer patient questions (81% vs 90%) and improved critical thinking/problem-solving (69% vs 70%). Students perceived greater benefit in recommending alternative therapies (73% vs 50%) and counseling (72% vs 30%). These results were consistent across cohorts.

Adaptive OSCEs offered students greater exposure to clinical scenarios tailored to their abilities. Benefit from this assessment style was perceived by students and faculty, with students reporting greater benefit regarding clinical and critical thinking skills.