Keynote abstract
The answer, of course, is “yes”. But how do we measure choice? And what type of choice is there? Education, from both a process and a design perspective, is a difficult subject to measure. Even more so when a global perspective is called for, when variance becomes a norm. However, the concept of “curriculum” would be as good a place to start as any. By curriculum, we mean all the essential elements that contribute to the formal educational process. These elements can be described as the principal actors (student, teacher, institution, community), the educational knowledge content (often referred to as the syllabus), the sequence of learning and learning design, and the learning aims and objectives (related to the outcomes of a learning process).
We can also usefully describe the learning experience from the perspective of a student, and this particular context is becoming important as an indicator of quality and relevance; many national and local agencies now use the learning experience as a proxy measure of quality. This presentation will look at these learning components from a pharmacy perspective, and will attempt to predict the near and longer-term trends in pharmacy education.
The learning Experience: Several recent studies have indicated that the pharmacy learning experience is variable, with some of this variance attributed to learner demographics, factors not normally associated with curriculum design.
Syllabus – knowledge & content: Curriculum content is steadily increasing in most cases, and there is a danger of an unequal science base emerging as the complexity of pharmaceutical science and technology continues to increase. Terminology such as “basic” and “foundation” science need clarification as does an international consensus on syllabus.
Delivery & quality: There are direct associations between curriculum delivery and the learning experience, with additional links with didacticism, and the emergence of a patient-focussed approach. This aspect often has a more immediate impact on the student experience than, for example, content.
Outcomes: Education is blighted by a lack of standardisation of outcomes and appropriate measures. We should consider that learning outcomes can have greater emphasis than the more commonly used learning objectives. There is clear linkage between outcomes and quality, and this aspect of educational reform ought to have a high priority. “Outcomes” in this context refers to practitioner competence, competency and performance, all of which are high on national health care agendas.
Demographic Context – institutional, societal & cultural: National training capacity in pharmacy is increasing in many countries with parallel increases in student intake. Workforce planning issues within countries are becoming paramount. This has impact on access to education, finance and policy for entry to the profession through universities (and practitioner accreditation thereafter – see also item 4).
Many of these “gaps” can be addressed by professionalising educational research and developing a focus on strategic and evidence-led reforms. This will contribute towards the development of a “knowledge map” for pharmacy, which will include educational routes, directions, knowledge domains, competencies and skills which will be useful for policy and planning at both national and international levels. And also allowing learners to plan their own pathway through career pathways that are supported through educational choice.
