(453) Vital role of the Information Technology team in delivering and implementing skills lab assessments

The integrated Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) has purposefully incorporated key skills lab assessments including written, check-offs, and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) to achieve learning outcomes. The success in developing and implementing these comprehensive assessments hinges on the collaborative efforts of the skills lab team and the college’s information technology (IT) team consisting of a director and five full-time employees. The IT team plays a crucial role in supporting the faculty throughout the creation and implementation process including generating creative ideas, optimizing technological tools, and determining feasibility resulting in minimal logistical challenges and timely troubleshooting.

The collaborative approach in integrating technology into assessments has resulted in more hands-on and simulated experiences for the students. The facilities include the college’s pharmacy care lab space (65 stations), OSCE suites (9 rooms), and sterile products (16 hoods), which makes it possible to coordinate these assessments for ~120 students per cohort in a limited time. During a given academic year, greater than 25 skills-based assessments, each utilizing between 2 – 6 technological tools, are delivered across the P1 – P3 cohorts. These technological tools are categorized as instructional or informational. The faculty are trained in various technological tools initially and as needed throughout by the IT team.

The leadership of the IT team and collaborative workings have enabled faculty to dedicate more time towards content creation, developing rubrics, and training materials for standardized patients/evaluators. Furthermore, the IT team’s support forms a nexus among the technological tools. This in turn enables simultaneous offerings of various assessment types, options for both synchronous and asynchronous grading, and efficient grading turnaround time.