(10) An Applied Mathematics Pre-Assessment to Identify At-Risk Students and Promote Early Engagement in Pharmacy Calculations

Objective : To identify at-risk students using an applied mathematics pre-assessment and determine the perceived and actual impact of student engagement with optional office hours and help sessions on pharmacy calculations final exam performance.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study of first-year pharmacy students (P1s) compared outcomes of an applied mathematics pre-assessment and pharmacy calculations final exam. The incidences of passing the final exam were compared using χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests where appropriate . Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors (pre-assessment performance and engagement with office hours and/or help sessions) that significantly contribute to success on the final exam. Student perceptions were collected via Qualtrics and described using descriptive statistics.

Results: Data were analyzed for 136 P1s who completed the pre-assessment and final exam. Thirty-four students (25%) were identified as at-risk (pre-assessment scores < 70%). Pre-assessment scores were positively correlated with final exam scores (p <.001; Pearson’s correlation coefficient = 0.66). Furthermore, the final exam pass rates were statistically significantly different between at-risk students and students with pre-assessment scores higher than 70% (64.7% vs 96.1%, p<.001). The independent impact of participating in engagement opportunities could not be evaluated due to the confounding difference in the pre-assessment as well as the relatively small sample size of the at-risk group. At-risk students perceived engagement opportunities as having a positive impact on their learning.

Conclusions: The applied mathematics pre-assessment predicted success on the final exam and could be used as an early intervention tool to encourage student engagement. While the impact of the engagement opportunities could not be fully explored, students perceived them positively. Further studies on the impact of various types of engagement sessions are planned.