Excellence in Curriculum Development and Assessment

Pharmacy and other health sciences educators have frequently faced curriculum and assessment issues. However, as expectations for accountability and assessment have continued to put forth for higher education institutions, there is increasing bear upon about the development of assessment plans and the appropriate use of assessment data. A variety of approaches have been used for progress to maturity of both curriculum and program assessment plans. Although there is no single correct classification for accomplishing either task, there are important principles, conceptions characteristics, and approaches that should be considered, similar as beginning with well-defined scholar learning outcomes, using educational approaches designed to facilitate pupil achievement of those outcomes, and designing assessment strategies that target the specific issues Faculty at schools and communitys of pharmacy need to understand educational universals and theories, the principles/characteristics of effective assessment programs, obstacles to assessment plan disentanglement and ways to minimize them, and systems to create an environment conducive to curriculum and assessment efforts. They should also consider their have unique circumstances when undertaking curriculum modifications and preparing/implementing a comprehensive assessment plan. Professional associations and accrediting agencies can also fill an important part by assisting schools and communitys in their efforts to improve learner learning.

Keywords: curriculum, assessment, excellence

INTRODUCTION

Institutions of higher education strive to be recognized for their commitment to providing effective, high quality educational programs, thus fostering academic advantage in both faculty and observers Students and their parents demand high quality programs and use "quality" as a metric in making the decision about which guild to attend. Faculty want to be part of a program with established advantage knowing that this will enhance their reputation and career increase The public also seeks measures of quality, whether real or imagined, and count upons academic institutions to be of high quality. Pharmacy education has undergone major change through the past decade with the approval of the entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) standing program. The American Council in succession Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) developed of the present day standards for the professional PharmD stage program that were adopted in June 1997 and became effective july 1 2000 (ic, Standards 2000) These standards and their associated guidelines are designed to assist pharmacy education institutions unravel and maintain academically strong, effective programs that are responsive to changing health care needs

Since quality and superiority in education are important to all aspects of society, focus has been placed immediately after curricula and assessment strategies to assure that programs are accomplishing their missions. An overview is provided of preferableed aspects of these topics that are of particular interest and be of importance to to pharmacy education, along with additional attract favor toed readings. Areas discussed include higher education and pharmacy education effectiveness, curriculum increase (student learning outcomes, instructional systems - concepts, approaches, student learning evaluation, curriculum mapping), and program assessment (principles and characteristics, barriers and challenges, approaches and methods) Recommendations to enhance progres in these areas are provided for consideration from schools/colleges, the American Association of society s of Pharmacy (AACP), and ACPE.

A lack of literature consensus, as well as considerable confusion, exists for definitions of many assessment related terms' A glossary is provided (Appendix 1) for several of these boundarys and includes other terms used similarly in the literature. The definitions were selecteded based upon whether they considered those used in the majority of published literature or universals that most literature sources appeared to agree immediately after It should be kept in mind that often of the published program assessment information be due [i]or[/i] owings from the field of medicine. Since pharmacy and medicine education share many similarities with other health-related fields, the health care disciplines are urg to work together to adopt and use usual terminology for the same assessment-related descriptions.

HIGHER EDUCATION EFFECTIVENESS

Mechanisms are in place to arbiter and certify the quality and effectiveness of higher education institutions. greatest in number academic institutions are accredited by means of organizations called regional accreditation agencies, similar as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) a commission of the North Central Association of communitys and Schools. Regional accreditation qualifies an institution to receive federal financial aid, and it is a prerequisite in order for a given step program at an institution to be accredited from a professional organization. Tn the case of pharmacy, that professional organization is ACPE. Further, a variety of national rankings purport to identify the highest quality institutions for a given discipline. While like rankings have potential problems and limitations, these "stamps of approval" are frequently very important in attracting bookish mans to enroll and in their piece of work placement after graduation. Accountability, institutional program review, and higher education accreditation all play a character in determining higher education effectiveness.