Does an intercalated clinical placement make a difference to learning gain?
Wheelhouse, Richard T.
Wheelhouse, Richard T.
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2017
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Abstract
Background
Anecdotally, it has long been felt by academic staff that students on the Bradford 5-year sandwich degree programme (intercalated pre-registration training) performed differently on return to university from those on the continuous 4-year programme. Direct comparisons between cohorts have been difficult to undertake as the two groups were taught separately in their final stage. In 2016-17, a cohort of returning sandwich students was taught alongside a comparable group of continuous students in a final stage module. This study compares the results from these two student cohorts.
Method
The Pharmacy Special Studies module offered a very broad range of opportunities across laboratory research, systematic and scoping review, product development and care-orientated topics including audit, and analysis of clinical cases, organised in 9 separate “strands.” Students from the sandwich (n=99) and continuous (n=89) courses were offered the same selection of learning experiences.
Assessment was by oral presentation and discussion (slides or poster) and written report. The Level 7 marking schemes used were designed so that the highest marks were only available to reward student demonstration of the higher-level critical, analytical and interpretative skills.
Results
Student performance across all 9 strands of the module was comparable. When module results were split according to cohort, a strong divergence was observed. Sandwich student results displayed an approximately bell-shaped distribution with a mean mark 73.2% (SD 8.1). In contrast, the continuous student results had a lower mean 67.3% (SD 8.5, p<10-5); moreover, the distribution of these marks was distorted with a ‘cliff edge’ in the low 70s and a long tail.
Conclusion
This analysis shows that students who had completed 6 months pre-registration training achieved, on average, higher grades. Moreover, they demonstrated improved higher-level skills of interpretation and critical analysis compared with the continuous group. Although this is a one-year “snapshot” observation it appears to show that following 6 months preregistration training, students are better able to critically evaluate and interpret data and draw evidence-based conclusions. Such a result could provide evidence for the benefits of intercalated placements and indicate the optimal location of professional training within the academic course. Any impact on pre-registration training itself remains to be determined.
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Wheelhouse RT ( 2017 ) Does an intercalated clinical placement make a difference to learning gain? [Abstract]. Pharmacy Education Conference 2017, Manchester, United Kingdom. Pharmacy Education. 17(1): 188.
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Abstract, presented at the Pharmacy Education Conference 2017, Manchester, United Kingdom.