American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2019
Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) ... more Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) with use of supplementary material, and overall performance in an advanced therapeutics course in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Methods. A modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Inventory (SRSI-SI) was used to measure three distinct SRL factors: managing study behaviors, managing environment, and maladaptive regulatory behaviors. An instructor created a supplemental 36-question practice quiz and flashcard activity. The in-class assessment and the three SRL factors were analyzed using the practice quiz, and the association between overall course grade and score in each factor domain was determined by regression. Results. Two-hundred seven students (98%) completed the SRSI. One hundred fifty-eight (79%) students reported using the optional practice quiz and doing so was associated with significantly higher in-class quiz scores (8.2 vs 7.6 out of 10) and higher overall course grade (88.0% vs 85.3%). Students reporting use of the optional practice quiz were significantly less likely to report poor study behaviors, inability to manage study environment, and maladaptive study habits. Lower overall course grades were significantly associated with maladaptive study habits. Conclusion. A positive association was determined between use of instructor-created supplemental activities and in-class quiz scores, self-regulated study behaviors, and overall course performance. Maladaptive study habits were associated with a modest negative correlation with overall course grade. The results suggest that when instructors create optional supplementary activities and assessments, many of the students who would benefit the most from the use of these activities fail to utilize the opportunity for extra practice.
The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning ... more The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning system employed within a large undergraduate cohort of chemistry students during the Fall 2013 term. In particular, the purpose was to determine what student perceptions were concerning the adaptive system and how these perceptions influenced the students metacognitive and self-regulatory behaviors.
The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive b... more The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for students at the University of Florida who are struggling with stress and anxiety. In addition, the paper discusses the unique challenges of the instructional design process of creating psychoeducational materials through cognitive task analysis and heuristics. Preliminary evidence suggests that higher education institutions may wish to implement similar programs in order to increase efficiency and serve both on-campus and distance students.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2019
Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) ... more Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) with use of supplementary material, and overall performance in an advanced therapeutics course in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Methods. A modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Inventory (SRSI-SI) was used to measure three distinct SRL factors: managing study behaviors, managing environment, and maladaptive regulatory behaviors. An instructor created a supplemental 36-question practice quiz and flashcard activity. The in-class assessment and the three SRL factors were analyzed using the practice quiz, and the association between overall course grade and score in each factor domain was determined by regression. Results. Two-hundred seven students (98%) completed the SRSI. One hundred fifty-eight (79%) students reported using the optional practice quiz and doing so was associated with significantly higher in-class quiz scores (8.2 vs 7.6 out of 10) and higher overall course grade (88.0% vs 85.3%). Students reporting use of the optional practice quiz were significantly less likely to report poor study behaviors, inability to manage study environment, and maladaptive study habits. Lower overall course grades were significantly associated with maladaptive study habits. Conclusion. A positive association was determined between use of instructor-created supplemental activities and in-class quiz scores, self-regulated study behaviors, and overall course performance. Maladaptive study habits were associated with a modest negative correlation with overall course grade. The results suggest that when instructors create optional supplementary activities and assessments, many of the students who would benefit the most from the use of these activities fail to utilize the opportunity for extra practice. Keywords: self regulated learning, supplementary material, therapeutics, pharmacy education
Introduction: One of the primary missions of pharmacy education is to produce graduates with
the ... more Introduction: One of the primary missions of pharmacy education is to produce graduates with the foundations to develop into expert practitioners through continuous learning and reflection upon traditional and clinical experiences. This reflection process and the use of effective strategies to meet specific learning goals can be considered a form of self-regulated learning (SRL). The following study validates an inventory to assess SRL strategies in blended and team-based learning (TBL) environments. Methods: A SRL strategy inventory was developed based upon the Self-Regulated Strategies Inventory-Self-Report (SRSI-SR) and new items designed for blended and TBL environments. Sixteen new items focused on leveraging the team to learn content, the use and misuse of video lectures and slides, and interaction with social media and the learning management system. Two hundred and thirty doctor of pharmacy students in the third professional year participated in the study. Twenty-eight items from the SRSI-SR and 16 new items were examined through a principal components analysis (PCA). Results: The PCA indicated three distinct components; managing learning environment, maladaptive learning strategies, and seeking and learning information. The total inventory accounted for 46.36% of the score. Maladaptive learning strategies scores were moderately predictive of poor academic achievement in didactic coursework. Conclusions: The following study demonstrates the importance of reexamination and adaptation of educational inventories such as the SRSI-SR. This study provides specific insight into what maladaptive strategies may be limiting underperforming students from achieving greater success and mastery in the didactic curriculum.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2020
Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and validate a situational judgement ... more Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and validate a situational judgement test (SJT) to assess professionalism in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Methods. Test specifications were developed and faculty members were educated on best practices in item writing for SJTs. The faculty members then developed 75 pilot scenarios. From those, two versions of the SJT, each containing 25 scenarios, were created. The pilot population for the SJT was student pharmacists in their third professional year, just prior to starting their advanced pharmacy practice experiences. The students completed the two versions of the test on different days, approximately 48 hours apart, with 50 minutes allowed to complete each. Subsequently, students completed a questionnaire regarding the SJT at the conclusion of the second test. Results. Version 1 of the SJT was completed by 228 students, and version 2 was completed by 225 students. Mean scores were 390 (SD520, range 318-429) and 342 (SD521, range 263-387) on test versions 1 and 2, respectively. The reliability of the tests was appropriate (test version 1, a50.77; test version 2, a50.79). Students felt that the content of the tests was realistic with respect to pharmacy practice (90.1%), and that the tests gave them an opportunity to reflect on how to approach challenging situations (82.6%). Conclusion. We developed a reliable SJT to assess professionalism in PharmD students. Future research should focus on creating a personalized learning plan for students who do not meet minimum performance standards on this SJT.
The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning ... more The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning system employed within a large undergraduate cohort of chemistry students during the Fall 2013 term. In particular, the purpose was to determine what student perceptions were concerning the adaptive system and how these perceptions influenced the students metacognitive and self-regulatory behaviors.
The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive b... more The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for students at the University of Florida who are struggling with stress and anxiety. In addition, the paper discusses the unique challenges of the instructional design process of creating psychoeducational materials through cognitive task analysis and heuristics. Preliminary evidence suggests that higher education institutions may wish to implement similar programs in order to increase efficiency and serve both on-campus and distance students. In recent years, college and university counseling centers nationwide have reported a trend toward greater student distress and a corresponding increase in counseling services utilization (American College Health Association, 2014; AUCCCD, 2013). Commonly used methods of attempting to meet increased demand for services (i.e., increase therapist caseloads, reduce session frequency, waitlists) are often associated with less than optimal outcomes for students accessing them, while also leaving many more students without the treatment they need (Gallagher, 2011). Given the trend toward increased use of technology in the academic and personal lives of students, we decided to develop a treatment solution that leverages computer-based learning environments, text messaging, and synchronous video conferencing to support clients who may need clinical support services but who live at a distance or cannot find the time to meet at a therapist's office. Because of privacy and confidentiality concerns, we did not believe that social media was an appropriate tool to use in the context of telemental health. We labeled this approach Therapist-Assisted Online (TAO), based on international treatment models, which combine online psychoeducational treatment materials with brief therapist contact. In contrast to online self-help alone, therapist-assisted treatments result in increased client treatment, engagement, compliance, and completion rates (Andersson & Cuijpers, 2009; Berger et al., 2011; Spek et al., 2007). Despite the limited nature of this contact, clients report high levels of treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliances comparable to traditional counseling (Andrews, Cuijpers, Craske, McEvoy, & Titov, 2010). Another aspect that makes
While much research has been conducted on annotations and note-taking in the context of learning ... more While much research has been conducted on annotations and note-taking in the context of learning from static text and images, the influence of annotating instructional video upon metacognitive monitoring and learning remains unclear. This is an important issue because video annotation systems are gaining popularity in the practice of online and blended learning, but the conditions for effective implementation of such systems are still not well understood. This study explored the influence of video annotation conditions upon metacomprehension accuracy and learning performance with a group of 81 undergraduate students of various majors. Findings suggest that video annotation systems designed for simultaneous notetaking may have a deleterious effect upon metacognitive monitoring in general and metacomprehension in particular. Text-based strategies used to improve metacomprehension accuracy such as a delay in the production of a keyword to summarize the essence of an instructional topic do not appear to impact metacognitive performance in the context of video annotation. Interestingly, participants in the control condition (without annotation) performed as well in both learning performance and metacomprehension accuracy as their counterparts. These findings have implications for the design of video annotation systems and learner best practices in the use of video annotation, particularly in online and blended learning formats.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2019
Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) ... more Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) with use of supplementary material, and overall performance in an advanced therapeutics course in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Methods. A modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Inventory (SRSI-SI) was used to measure three distinct SRL factors: managing study behaviors, managing environment, and maladaptive regulatory behaviors. An instructor created a supplemental 36-question practice quiz and flashcard activity. The in-class assessment and the three SRL factors were analyzed using the practice quiz, and the association between overall course grade and score in each factor domain was determined by regression. Results. Two-hundred seven students (98%) completed the SRSI. One hundred fifty-eight (79%) students reported using the optional practice quiz and doing so was associated with significantly higher in-class quiz scores (8.2 vs 7.6 out of 10) and higher overall course grade (88.0% vs 85.3%). Students reporting use of the optional practice quiz were significantly less likely to report poor study behaviors, inability to manage study environment, and maladaptive study habits. Lower overall course grades were significantly associated with maladaptive study habits. Conclusion. A positive association was determined between use of instructor-created supplemental activities and in-class quiz scores, self-regulated study behaviors, and overall course performance. Maladaptive study habits were associated with a modest negative correlation with overall course grade. The results suggest that when instructors create optional supplementary activities and assessments, many of the students who would benefit the most from the use of these activities fail to utilize the opportunity for extra practice.
The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning ... more The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning system employed within a large undergraduate cohort of chemistry students during the Fall 2013 term. In particular, the purpose was to determine what student perceptions were concerning the adaptive system and how these perceptions influenced the students metacognitive and self-regulatory behaviors.
The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive b... more The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for students at the University of Florida who are struggling with stress and anxiety. In addition, the paper discusses the unique challenges of the instructional design process of creating psychoeducational materials through cognitive task analysis and heuristics. Preliminary evidence suggests that higher education institutions may wish to implement similar programs in order to increase efficiency and serve both on-campus and distance students.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2019
Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) ... more Objective. To determine the relationship between student-reported, self-regulated learning (SRL) with use of supplementary material, and overall performance in an advanced therapeutics course in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Methods. A modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Inventory (SRSI-SI) was used to measure three distinct SRL factors: managing study behaviors, managing environment, and maladaptive regulatory behaviors. An instructor created a supplemental 36-question practice quiz and flashcard activity. The in-class assessment and the three SRL factors were analyzed using the practice quiz, and the association between overall course grade and score in each factor domain was determined by regression. Results. Two-hundred seven students (98%) completed the SRSI. One hundred fifty-eight (79%) students reported using the optional practice quiz and doing so was associated with significantly higher in-class quiz scores (8.2 vs 7.6 out of 10) and higher overall course grade (88.0% vs 85.3%). Students reporting use of the optional practice quiz were significantly less likely to report poor study behaviors, inability to manage study environment, and maladaptive study habits. Lower overall course grades were significantly associated with maladaptive study habits. Conclusion. A positive association was determined between use of instructor-created supplemental activities and in-class quiz scores, self-regulated study behaviors, and overall course performance. Maladaptive study habits were associated with a modest negative correlation with overall course grade. The results suggest that when instructors create optional supplementary activities and assessments, many of the students who would benefit the most from the use of these activities fail to utilize the opportunity for extra practice. Keywords: self regulated learning, supplementary material, therapeutics, pharmacy education
Introduction: One of the primary missions of pharmacy education is to produce graduates with
the ... more Introduction: One of the primary missions of pharmacy education is to produce graduates with the foundations to develop into expert practitioners through continuous learning and reflection upon traditional and clinical experiences. This reflection process and the use of effective strategies to meet specific learning goals can be considered a form of self-regulated learning (SRL). The following study validates an inventory to assess SRL strategies in blended and team-based learning (TBL) environments. Methods: A SRL strategy inventory was developed based upon the Self-Regulated Strategies Inventory-Self-Report (SRSI-SR) and new items designed for blended and TBL environments. Sixteen new items focused on leveraging the team to learn content, the use and misuse of video lectures and slides, and interaction with social media and the learning management system. Two hundred and thirty doctor of pharmacy students in the third professional year participated in the study. Twenty-eight items from the SRSI-SR and 16 new items were examined through a principal components analysis (PCA). Results: The PCA indicated three distinct components; managing learning environment, maladaptive learning strategies, and seeking and learning information. The total inventory accounted for 46.36% of the score. Maladaptive learning strategies scores were moderately predictive of poor academic achievement in didactic coursework. Conclusions: The following study demonstrates the importance of reexamination and adaptation of educational inventories such as the SRSI-SR. This study provides specific insight into what maladaptive strategies may be limiting underperforming students from achieving greater success and mastery in the didactic curriculum.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2020
Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and validate a situational judgement ... more Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and validate a situational judgement test (SJT) to assess professionalism in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Methods. Test specifications were developed and faculty members were educated on best practices in item writing for SJTs. The faculty members then developed 75 pilot scenarios. From those, two versions of the SJT, each containing 25 scenarios, were created. The pilot population for the SJT was student pharmacists in their third professional year, just prior to starting their advanced pharmacy practice experiences. The students completed the two versions of the test on different days, approximately 48 hours apart, with 50 minutes allowed to complete each. Subsequently, students completed a questionnaire regarding the SJT at the conclusion of the second test. Results. Version 1 of the SJT was completed by 228 students, and version 2 was completed by 225 students. Mean scores were 390 (SD520, range 318-429) and 342 (SD521, range 263-387) on test versions 1 and 2, respectively. The reliability of the tests was appropriate (test version 1, a50.77; test version 2, a50.79). Students felt that the content of the tests was realistic with respect to pharmacy practice (90.1%), and that the tests gave them an opportunity to reflect on how to approach challenging situations (82.6%). Conclusion. We developed a reliable SJT to assess professionalism in PharmD students. Future research should focus on creating a personalized learning plan for students who do not meet minimum performance standards on this SJT.
The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning ... more The following phenomenographic study aims to explore student perceptions of an adaptive learning system employed within a large undergraduate cohort of chemistry students during the Fall 2013 term. In particular, the purpose was to determine what student perceptions were concerning the adaptive system and how these perceptions influenced the students metacognitive and self-regulatory behaviors.
The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive b... more The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for students at the University of Florida who are struggling with stress and anxiety. In addition, the paper discusses the unique challenges of the instructional design process of creating psychoeducational materials through cognitive task analysis and heuristics. Preliminary evidence suggests that higher education institutions may wish to implement similar programs in order to increase efficiency and serve both on-campus and distance students. In recent years, college and university counseling centers nationwide have reported a trend toward greater student distress and a corresponding increase in counseling services utilization (American College Health Association, 2014; AUCCCD, 2013). Commonly used methods of attempting to meet increased demand for services (i.e., increase therapist caseloads, reduce session frequency, waitlists) are often associated with less than optimal outcomes for students accessing them, while also leaving many more students without the treatment they need (Gallagher, 2011). Given the trend toward increased use of technology in the academic and personal lives of students, we decided to develop a treatment solution that leverages computer-based learning environments, text messaging, and synchronous video conferencing to support clients who may need clinical support services but who live at a distance or cannot find the time to meet at a therapist's office. Because of privacy and confidentiality concerns, we did not believe that social media was an appropriate tool to use in the context of telemental health. We labeled this approach Therapist-Assisted Online (TAO), based on international treatment models, which combine online psychoeducational treatment materials with brief therapist contact. In contrast to online self-help alone, therapist-assisted treatments result in increased client treatment, engagement, compliance, and completion rates (Andersson & Cuijpers, 2009; Berger et al., 2011; Spek et al., 2007). Despite the limited nature of this contact, clients report high levels of treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliances comparable to traditional counseling (Andrews, Cuijpers, Craske, McEvoy, & Titov, 2010). Another aspect that makes
While much research has been conducted on annotations and note-taking in the context of learning ... more While much research has been conducted on annotations and note-taking in the context of learning from static text and images, the influence of annotating instructional video upon metacognitive monitoring and learning remains unclear. This is an important issue because video annotation systems are gaining popularity in the practice of online and blended learning, but the conditions for effective implementation of such systems are still not well understood. This study explored the influence of video annotation conditions upon metacomprehension accuracy and learning performance with a group of 81 undergraduate students of various majors. Findings suggest that video annotation systems designed for simultaneous notetaking may have a deleterious effect upon metacognitive monitoring in general and metacomprehension in particular. Text-based strategies used to improve metacomprehension accuracy such as a delay in the production of a keyword to summarize the essence of an instructional topic do not appear to impact metacognitive performance in the context of video annotation. Interestingly, participants in the control condition (without annotation) performed as well in both learning performance and metacomprehension accuracy as their counterparts. These findings have implications for the design of video annotation systems and learner best practices in the use of video annotation, particularly in online and blended learning formats.
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Papers by Aaron Thomas
use of supplementary material, and overall performance in an advanced therapeutics course in a Doctor
of Pharmacy program.
Methods. A modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Inventory (SRSI-SI) was used to measure
three distinct SRL factors: managing study behaviors, managing environment, and maladaptive regulatory behaviors. An instructor created a supplemental 36-question practice quiz and flashcard activity. The in-class assessment and the three SRL factors were analyzed using the practice quiz, and the
association between overall course grade and score in each factor domain was determined by regression.
Results. Two-hundred seven students (98%) completed the SRSI. One hundred fifty-eight (79%)
students reported using the optional practice quiz and doing so was associated with significantly higher
in-class quiz scores (8.2 vs 7.6 out of 10) and higher overall course grade (88.0% vs 85.3%). Students
reporting use of the optional practice quiz were significantly less likely to report poor study behaviors,
inability to manage study environment, and maladaptive study habits. Lower overall course grades
were significantly associated with maladaptive study habits.
Conclusion. A positive association was determined between use of instructor-created supplemental
activities and in-class quiz scores, self-regulated study behaviors, and overall course performance.
Maladaptive study habits were associated with a modest negative correlation with overall course grade.
The results suggest that when instructors create optional supplementary activities and assessments,
many of the students who would benefit the most from the use of these activities fail to utilize the
opportunity for extra practice.
Keywords: self regulated learning, supplementary material, therapeutics, pharmacy education
the foundations to develop into expert practitioners through continuous learning and reflection
upon traditional and clinical experiences. This reflection process and the use of effective strategies to meet specific learning goals can be considered a form of self-regulated learning (SRL).
The following study validates an inventory to assess SRL strategies in blended and team-based
learning (TBL) environments.
Methods: A SRL strategy inventory was developed based upon the Self-Regulated Strategies
Inventory-Self-Report (SRSI-SR) and new items designed for blended and TBL environments.
Sixteen new items focused on leveraging the team to learn content, the use and misuse of video
lectures and slides, and interaction with social media and the learning management system. Two
hundred and thirty doctor of pharmacy students in the third professional year participated in the
study. Twenty-eight items from the SRSI-SR and 16 new items were examined through a principal
components analysis (PCA).
Results: The PCA indicated three distinct components; managing learning environment, maladaptive learning strategies, and seeking and learning information. The total inventory accounted
for 46.36% of the score. Maladaptive learning strategies scores were moderately predictive of
poor academic achievement in didactic coursework.
Conclusions: The following study demonstrates the importance of reexamination and adaptation
of educational inventories such as the SRSI-SR. This study provides specific insight into what
maladaptive strategies may be limiting underperforming students from achieving greater success
and mastery in the didactic curriculum.
use of supplementary material, and overall performance in an advanced therapeutics course in a Doctor
of Pharmacy program.
Methods. A modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Inventory (SRSI-SI) was used to measure
three distinct SRL factors: managing study behaviors, managing environment, and maladaptive regulatory behaviors. An instructor created a supplemental 36-question practice quiz and flashcard activity. The in-class assessment and the three SRL factors were analyzed using the practice quiz, and the
association between overall course grade and score in each factor domain was determined by regression.
Results. Two-hundred seven students (98%) completed the SRSI. One hundred fifty-eight (79%)
students reported using the optional practice quiz and doing so was associated with significantly higher
in-class quiz scores (8.2 vs 7.6 out of 10) and higher overall course grade (88.0% vs 85.3%). Students
reporting use of the optional practice quiz were significantly less likely to report poor study behaviors,
inability to manage study environment, and maladaptive study habits. Lower overall course grades
were significantly associated with maladaptive study habits.
Conclusion. A positive association was determined between use of instructor-created supplemental
activities and in-class quiz scores, self-regulated study behaviors, and overall course performance.
Maladaptive study habits were associated with a modest negative correlation with overall course grade.
The results suggest that when instructors create optional supplementary activities and assessments,
many of the students who would benefit the most from the use of these activities fail to utilize the
opportunity for extra practice.
Keywords: self regulated learning, supplementary material, therapeutics, pharmacy education
the foundations to develop into expert practitioners through continuous learning and reflection
upon traditional and clinical experiences. This reflection process and the use of effective strategies to meet specific learning goals can be considered a form of self-regulated learning (SRL).
The following study validates an inventory to assess SRL strategies in blended and team-based
learning (TBL) environments.
Methods: A SRL strategy inventory was developed based upon the Self-Regulated Strategies
Inventory-Self-Report (SRSI-SR) and new items designed for blended and TBL environments.
Sixteen new items focused on leveraging the team to learn content, the use and misuse of video
lectures and slides, and interaction with social media and the learning management system. Two
hundred and thirty doctor of pharmacy students in the third professional year participated in the
study. Twenty-eight items from the SRSI-SR and 16 new items were examined through a principal
components analysis (PCA).
Results: The PCA indicated three distinct components; managing learning environment, maladaptive learning strategies, and seeking and learning information. The total inventory accounted
for 46.36% of the score. Maladaptive learning strategies scores were moderately predictive of
poor academic achievement in didactic coursework.
Conclusions: The following study demonstrates the importance of reexamination and adaptation
of educational inventories such as the SRSI-SR. This study provides specific insight into what
maladaptive strategies may be limiting underperforming students from achieving greater success
and mastery in the didactic curriculum.