Administration
Assessment of Learning
Annual Assessment of Learning Overview
Three major objectives comprise the rationale for the Assessment of Learning Program at TTUHSC School of Pharmacy. First, programmatic and learning assessment is an accreditation standard. Second, students have the need for awareness of their knowledge, abilities, and skills strengths and weaknesses on an annual basis. And third, the public demands, and the faculty need a bona fide measure of the quality of the curriculum and its outcomes.
The School of Pharmacy Assessment of Learning Committee at Texas Tech University has developed a strategy for providing students an analysis of ability mastery on absolute as well as relative scales. Previously, annual assessment scores were provided on a relative, class-standing basis (i.e., quartile scores). Using a modified Angoff system of cut score determination, composite cut scores defining performance standards for the "minimally competent student" have been determined for ability sets related to (i) basic sciences, (ii) problem prevention and solving, (iii) pharmaceutical care, (iv) moral, ethical, and professional reasoning, (v) management, and (vii) dispensing skills. Overall scores are provided to students and faculty advisors, as well as ability set scores. Students who do not meet the ability expectations are given specific definitions of deficiencies. A detailed summary of scores, including absolute competency determinations, and relative scores (i.e., class means, class ranges, percentile scores, stanine scores and Z-scores) are tabulated, and faculty advisors are charged with individual explanation for the significance of the reports to their student advisees.