Equitable Impacts of Coaching Reports on Undergraduate Students Self-Directed Learning and Pharmaceutical Science Exam Performance

Abstract ID 91646 Poster Board 417 Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of metacognitive coaching reports on undergraduate students' exam performance and persistence in the pharmaceutical sciences. Methods: Investigators captured exam performance and exit survey data from Bachelors of Science of Pharmaceutical Science (BSPS) students enrolled in a pharmaceutical sciences course from AU19-SP22. AU19-SP20 served as historic controls with 3 mid-stakes, non-cumulative exams. From AU20-SP21, investigators implemented 3 scaffolded semi-cumulative exams with metacognitive coaching reports providing individual content and Bloom's Taxonomy scores. The final iteration then implemented 6 scaffolded low-stakes semi-cumulative exams with metacognitive coaching reports with incorrect question rationales added. Self-reported student demographic data was provided along with learning strategies used after the first module exam. Results: Exam performance scores indicated modest to dramatic improvement in all content areas following the AU21 iteration including metacognitive coaching and low stake exam coaching reports. Metacognitive coaching reports combined with scaffolded semi-cumulative exams enhances content knowledge retention and improves acquisition of Bloom's Taxonomy of Hierarchy of learning. Pharmaceutics content saw the most dramatic improvement, with >15% increase in correct answers. Student performance improved on categories of Bloom's Taxonomy, with "Remember" and "Apply" driven questions seeing a 5–10% increase in correct answers. Metacognitive coaching revealed study strategies like randomized, repeat practice and study groups demonstrated increased studying efficiency with higher incidence of students reporting earning a satisfactory grade with satisfactory time management. Conclusions: Individualized coaching reports that include both content and Bloom's categories combined with a scaffolded semi-cumulative exam design equitably improves student learning across multiple demographics. Study findings suggest that providing coaching reports on 3 levels of Bloom's Taxonomy along with a single metacognition lecture helps students identify limitations to their current learning strategies along with guidance to optimize learning and that scaffolding exams to low stakes at the start (7%) and mid stakes (27%) at the end promotes growth mindset when assessments are more weighed toward final learning. Students also benefited from assessing a topic 4-6 times throughout a semester, which provides repeat practice in addition to providing opportunity for students to respond to formative feedback.