Teachable Moments Matter for: An analysis of the use of Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) scores within one professional program

A Teachable Moment Matters for: Striving for inter-rater reliability with a patient counseling assessment rubric: Lessons learned

The Teachable Moments Matter (TMM) category of articles is designed to offer readers insight into a methodological issue identified within a companion article. Written in collaboration with one of these authors, these articles provide an opportunity to focus on a challenge experienced by the authors and, in the process, provide one or more perspectives as to how to successfully navigate this issue. The current TMM is focused on issues and pitfalls in validation. The Journal hopes this case-based approach will help highlight the nuance of a topic in context, something that might get "lost" in the entirety of a full-length article.

Introducing Teachable Moments Matters

The Teachable Moments Matter (TMM) category of articles is designed to offer readers insight into a methodological issue identified within a companion article. Written in collaboration with one of the companion article authors, these articles provide an opportunity to focus on a challenge experienced by the authors and, in the process, provide one or more perspectives as to how to successfully navigate this issue. The Journal hopes this case-based approach will help to highlight an issue nuance in context, something that might get "lost" in the entirety of a full-length article.

Bacterial association and comparison between lung and intestine in rats

The association between lung and intestine has already been reported, but the differences in community structures or functions between lung and intestine bacteria yet need to explore. To explore the differences in community structures or functions, the lung tissues and fecal contents in rats were collected and analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing. It was found that intestine bacteria was more abundant and diverse than lung bacteria. In intestine bacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroides were identified as major phyla while Lactobacillus was among the most abundant genus. However, in lung the major identified phylum was Proteobacteria and genus Pseudomonas was most prominent genus. On the other hand, in contrast the lung bacteria was more concentrated in cytoskeleton and function in energy production and conversion. While, intestine bacteria were enriched in RNA processing, modification chromatin structure, dynamics and amino acid metabolism. The study provides the basis for understanding the relationships between lung and intestine bacteria.

Targeting Assessment for Learning within Pharmacy Education

Formative assessment is critical for deliberate improvement, development and growth. While not entirely synonymous, assessment for learning (AFL) is an approach using formative assessment to specifically improve students' learning. While using formative assessments, AFL can also have summative programmatic-assessment implications. For each learning assessment, summative and formative uses can be leveraged; it can scaffold (formative), foster students' growth (formative), and document students' development in a competency/standard (summative). For example, using a developmental portfolio with iterative reflective-writings (formative), PharmD students showed qualitative development in the "professionalism" competency (summative; ACPE Standard 4.4). (In parallel, this development in professionalism was confirmed quantitatively.) An AFL approach can complement other assessments; it can be integrated with other summative assessments into a multi-method assessment program, wherein developmental portfolio sections could be used for a few specific competencies. While AFL is not a one-size-fits-all silver bullet approach for programmatic assessment, it is one notable robust tool to employ.

Validation of learning assessments: A primer

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's Standards 2016 has placed greater emphasis on validating educational assessments. In this paper, we describe validity, reliability, and validation principles, drawing attention to the conceptual change that highlights one validity with multiple evidence sources; to this end, we recommend abandoning historical (confusing) terminology associated with the term validity. Further, we describe and apply Kane's framework (scoring, generalization, extrapolation, and implications) for the process of validation, with its inferences and conclusions from varied uses of assessment instruments by different colleges and schools of pharmacy. We then offer five practical recommendations that can improve reporting of validation evidence in pharmacy education literature. We describe application of these recommendations, including examples of validation evidence in the context of pharmacy education. After reading this article, the reader should be able to understand the current concept of validation, and use a framework as they validate and communicate their own institution's learning assessments.

Teachable Moments Matter for: An analysis of the use of Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) scores within one professional program

Editors Note: The Teachable Moments Matter category of articles is designed to offer readers insight into a methodological issue identified within a companion article. Written in collaboration with one of these authors, these articles provide an opportunity to focus on a challenge experienced by the authors and, in the process, provide one or more perspectives as to how to successfully navigate this issue. Notably, this "issue" is not necessarily a problem (as this first paper in this series demonstrates). The Journal hopes this case-based approach will help highlight an issue nuance in context, something that might get "lost" in the entirety of a full-length article. This article discusses the importance of communicating a conceptual framework (i.e., theory) as a basis for scholarly articles. A specific example in the companion article is use of validity theory. In our community of researchers, we need to better communicate a conceptual framework as a basis to allow others to build on and grow our knowledge in pharmacy education.