ABSTRACT
Objective To compare stress levels of pharmacy students in high-stakes, performance-based assessments (PBAs) administered during skills-based laboratory courses in normal classroom environments versus pandemic classroom environments impacted by COVID-19.Methods In 2019, prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) student stress levels were assessed via a voluntary, paper-based survey before and after PBAs. Students were given a modified version of this survey in 2020 during the pandemic. The 2019 and 2020 survey responses were compared utilizing Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests.Results Pharmacy students reported higher perceived stress levels before PBAs (3.78 vs. 3.45) and after PBAs (2.84 vs. 2.52) prior to the pandemic compared to amid pandemic. Students identified stress as negatively impacting their PBA performance in both years (3.42 vs. 3.1). Students had similar interest in wellness activities in both phases.Conclusion. Colleges of Pharmacy should consider implementing stress relief programs around high-stakes assessments as well as prioritizing wellness initiatives within curricula.
ABSTRACT
Background: In Spring 2020 many academic institutions transitioned to remote learning in response to the developing COVID-19 pandemic. These changes affected skills-based training, as schools of pharmacy were forced to transition traditionally in-person assessments to a remote setting. The purpose of this article is to describe the experience of pharmacy skills lab coordinators when transitioning summative skills-based assessments (SSBA). Methods: A web-based survey instrument administered through QualtricsXM was sent to all institutions in the Big Ten Academic Alliance-Performance Based Assessment Collaborative. Only one member from each institution completed the survey on behalf of the institution. The survey consisted of four sections: changes made to skills evaluated; changes made to the delivery of those evaluations; challenges to and strategies used by the skills lab program when switching to remote learning; and recommendations for incorporating remote learning within future SSBAs. Survey respondents were invited to participate in an optional unstructured interview regarding survey answers. Results: Nine of ten invited institutions responded to the survey. Of the nine respondents, three participated in the post-survey interview. Overall, 79.5% (93/117) of skills planned to be assessed were assessed with or without modification, with 8.5% (10/117) of skills canceled and 10.3% (12/117) of skills assessments postponed. The most common challenges mentioned were the lack of preparation time, inability to assess certain skills virtually, and student barriers. The most common recommendations made were to prioritize lab components and incorporate flexibility in planning and scheduling. Discussion: The results indicate that most skills were still assessed during the Spring 2020 semester. Though the transition to remote learning was challenging and unique for each institution, common strategies and recommendations identified here provide opportunities for academics to analyze and prioritize learning objectives and to rethink how to develop and deliver SSBAs as remote assessments.