Placement induction sessions for pharmacy undergraduates

This research examines the experience of combining basic educational theory and an innovative online response system to prepare pharmacy undergraduates at different stages of their professional development to undertake clinical placements in an acute NHS Trust. The workshops for 77 Level 6 and Level 7 students were designed around the principles of the experiential learning cycle, taxonomy of educational goals and constructive alignment. The Poll Everywhere online response system was used to facilitate the training needs analysis, interactive quizzes and students’ evaluations. Quantitative and qualitative feedback was obtained from students at the end of each session.

The aims of this project were to:

>explore whether pedagogic theory coupled with the use of modern technology could help pharmacy students achieve tailore learning outcomes
>assess whether this innovative training could evolve to support development during the academic year.

The university-based session helped students reflect and introduced them to placement objectives. Over 75 per cent of this session was dedicated to small-group activities aligning with Master’s level requirements of application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Hospital-based induction workshops for third-year and fourth-year students differed significantly in their content of ‘synthesis’ and ‘evaluation’ activities due to the level of students involved. The positive impact of regular evaluations was particularly noticeable in sessions for fourth-year students, which observed an inception of the ‘handover’ workshop and an improvement in the use of the Poll Everywhere system during the experiential cycle. Learning outcomes and aligned activities were adjusted accordingly to suit the new activities and needs of trainees.

In conclusion, this educational experience demonstrated a successful application of pedagogic theory while helping students achieve the tailored learning outcomes in an interactive environment created through modern technology. Regular evaluations enabled the newly established training to evolve during the academic year.