Longitudinal student self-assessment in an introductory pharmacy practice experience course

Objective. To evaluate changes in student self- assessment responses within and between classes related to Pharmacy Practicum II, a second- year introductory pharmacy practice experience ( IPPE) course. Methods. Students completed a self- assessment of their achievement of learning objectives before and after the IPPE course using a 5- point response scale and the practice context of community pharmacy. Analyses included precourse and postcourse comparisons within classes for 3 consecutive years, and a postcourse comparison between classes for learning objectives associated with course changes. Results. Mean student self- assessment scores increased for all learning objectives, suggesting an increase in student- perceived independence. Larger increases were observed when multiple learning activities were employed and/ or other courses contributed to learning. Course changes related to 2 learning objectives did not appear to significantly influence postcourse scores in a consistent manner. Conclusions. Student self- assessments at the end of the second professional year described the changes in students' perceived independence. This process may be useful to characterize the level of student perceived independence related to learning objectives and assess the influence of course changes on self- assessment scores.