Use IRAT as an indicator of subsequent assessment performance and exam-condition practice in pharmacy calculations¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article recommends using readiness assurance tests, particularly the IRAT, as low-stakes indicators of students' subsequent performance on major pharmacy calculations assessments. The conclusion states that "Readiness assurance test results, particularly IRAT scores, may be associated with students’ performances on subsequent assessments in pharmacy calculations." The author also notes the IRAT "appears to have been a useful way for students to practice under exam conditions", and that RAT use "may also assist students in their preparations for comprehensive assessments in the subject." The recommendation is hedged: correlations were low-to-moderate and the author calls for further inquiry.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• RAT sessions whose topics match the sequence of lecture topics and upcoming major assessments, delivered under proctored, timed conditions similar to those assessments

Constraints¶

• The author notes statistical significance is limited in discerning the extent to which data differences are meaningful, and that the usefulness of RAT within pharmacy calculations warrants further inquiry

Target Learners¶

• first-year professional pharmacy program students

Target Learning Goals¶

• preparation for comprehensive pharmacy calculations assessments

Related Strategies¶

• Incorporate practical and procedural knowledge into the Readiness Assessment Test
• Two Stage Quizzes

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Bell, E. C. (2022). Individual Vs. team based readiness assurance testing in pharmacy calculations. International Journal of Instruction, 15(1), 733-746. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2022.15142a