Schneider J, O’Hara K, Munro I. Using continuing professional development with portfolio in a pharmaceutics course. Pharmacy. 2016;4(4):36.
Students were introduced to the CPD model and stepwise approach in a flipped classroom format in pharmaceutics 3, a course offered over 12 weeks at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Using this knowledge gained, students assumed the role of a pharmacist in four simulated cases. Students started out by reflecting on what they knew and didn’t know about the subject matter. They then made a plan to find the information necessary to answer the clinical question and then actually formulated a response to the case. Students were allowed to collaborate with their classmates while formulating responses to the cases. Students were asked to document their approach to each step of the process in the portfolio. 36 students submitted a complete portfolio. A student survey was conducted upon completion of the activity. The results demonstrated that a majority of the participants found this activity to be an effective means of promoting self-learning, but also revealed the need for clarification when explaining the “reflection” and “evaluation” steps of the process.