Continuous Integration of Skill, Attitude, and Knowledge Assessment across the Curriculum

The objective of this curriculum assessment process was to develop a seamless integration of skill, attitude, and knowledge assessment throughout the curriculum, and to insure that the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy Practice departments had an ongoing awareness of what assessments were being conducted in the other area. For uniformity across the departments, definitions were agreed upon for four assessment categories: Skill, Attitude, New Knowledge, and Integrated Knowledge, which are referred to as S, A, NK, & IK. A one- to three-plus weighted scale to indicate the magnitude of assessment in a category was created. To discern an assessment profile of the entire curriculum, faculty were surveyed, and a table constructed containing all the courses in sequence, the weights for each of the four categories, and the methods used to assess the categories, such as new knowledge assessed by objective tests and case studies. Specialized assessment forms, when used, were collected as well. The Curriculum Committee then critically examined the table and conducted a follow-up to verify some data and obtain a more complete profile of others. The table produced a complete assessment profile which now allows a more direct comparison between the school’s mission and competency objectives and where these objectives are taught and how assessed, and the table allows individual faculty to see how their assessments compare to companion course