Student-generated questions to assess learning in an online orientation to pharmacy course

Abstract

Objective. To develop a formative assessment strategy for use in an online pharmacy orientation course that fosters student engagement with the course content and facilitates a manageable grading workload for the instructor. Design. A formative assessment strategy involving student-generated, multiple-choice questions was developed for use in a high-enrollment, online course. Assessment. Three primary outcomes were assessed: success of the assessment in effectively engaging students with the content, interrater reliability of the grading rubric, and instructor perception of grading workload. The project also evaluated whether this metacognitive strategy transferred to other aspects of the students' academic lives. The instructor perception was that the grading workload was manageable. Conclusion. Using student-generated multiple-choice questions is an effective approach to assessment in an online course introducing students to and informing them about the profession of pharmacy.