Bridging the gap: An evaluation of self-paced online transition modules for advanced pharmacy practice experience students.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A three module online self-paced educational resource was developed for entry to practice students transitioning from the classroom to their inpatient practicums. The objective of this study was to determine the benefits of the transition modules on students' self-perceived competency as related to onsite performance and reduction in anxiety during their inpatient practicum. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Evaluations of the three transition modules were conducted in two phases via electronic surveys distributed to final year advanced pharmacy practice students and focus group members including faculty, pharmacy practice educators, and pharmacy residents. FINDINGS: Based on our findings, the modules addressed common learning needs. While 69.7% of student respondents from Phase II of the evaluation found the modules to have positively impacted their onsite performance, only 24.7% believed the modules reduced their anxiety. DISCUSSION: The study indicates that students found the modules to be relevant to inpatient practice and of appropriate difficulty. Although most students perceived the modules to enhance performance on practicum, student anxiety levels appeared to remain unchanged. SUMMARY: Based on feedback and results, it may be beneficial to expose students to transition modules earlier in the curriculum in tandem with other inpatient preparatory activities. The results from this study may be of interest or benefit other universities and healthcare educators pursuing work on transition activities.

Self-paced online learning modules for pharmacy practice educators: Development and preliminary evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a series of six, self-paced online practice educator development modules and to describe the preliminary program evaluation conducted for them. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Six online learning modules were developed. In the preliminary program evaluation, a mixed methods approach was used to investigate whether module content was effective in conveying useful information to practice educators and was reaching those at a geographic distance from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. User demographic data, module completion results, user evaluation survey responses, and content expert reviews of the modules were collected and analyzed for quality assurance and program evaluation. FINDINGS: The preliminary evaluation results indicated a positive response. The evaluation survey results showed that most practice educators found their understanding of the subject had increased from their personal baseline after completing the module. From the total of 197 users that had registered for the Practice Educator Resource Centre and self-declared their geographic location, 56% were categorized as being within the Lower Mainland, while 44% were located outside of this area, at a geographic distance from UBC. DISCUSSION: This early data indicated the modules were reaching practice educators across BC. Continual evaluation will be needed to support the preliminary positive practice educator user experience. SUMMARY: The self-paced online practice educator modules are an accessible and possibly effective means of providing skills and training to new and current pharmacy practice educators.

A vertebrate Polycomb response element governs segmentation of the posterior hindbrain.

Chromatin remodeling by Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) proteins regulates gene expression in all metazoans. Two major complexes, Polycomb repressive complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1 and PRC2), are thought to mediate PcG-dependent repression in flies and mammals. In Drosophila, PcG/trxG protein complexes are recruited by PcG/trxG response elements (PREs). However, it has been unclear how PcG/trxG are recruited in vertebrates. Here we have identified a vertebrate PRE, PRE-kr, that regulates expression of the mouse MafB/Kreisler gene. PRE-kr recruits PcG proteins in flies and mouse F9 cells and represses gene expression in a PcG/trxG-dependent manner. PRC1 and 2 bind to a minimal PRE-kr region, which can recruit stable PRC1 binding but only weak PRC2 binding when introduced ectopically, suggesting that PRC1 and 2 have different binding requirements. Thus, we provide evidence that similar to invertebrates, PREs act as entry sites for PcG/trxG chromatin remodeling in vertebrates.

Analysis of hindbrain patterning defects caused by the kreisler(enu) mutation reveals multiple roles of Kreisler in hindbrain segmentation.

The embryonic hindbrain is subdivided into eight subunits, termed rhombomeres (r1-r8). The Kreisler (Krml1/MafB/val) transcription factor is expressed in and essential for patterning rhombomeres 5 and 6. Here, we have shown that in the chemically induced kreisler(enu) (kr(enu)) allele, a point mutation in the DNA binding domain abolishes or severely reduces Kreisler-dependent transcription. Comparison of kr(enu)/kr(enu) embryos with those homozygous for the classic kreisler (kr) mutation has reconciled past discrepancies and revealed multiple roles of Kreisler in hindbrain segmentation. These analyses demonstrate that Kreisler is required for maintenance and expansion but not initiation of the Krox20 expressing r5 domain. The differences in the "r5-like" phenotype of kr(enu)/kr(enu) and kr/kr mouse embryos, and zebrafish carrying mutations in the Kreisler orthologue valentino (val) suggest that Kreisler performs many of its r5-specific functions by associating with other proteins. By contrast, kr/kr and kr(enu)/kr(enu) mouse and val-/- zebrafish embryos all exhibit indistinguishable defects in r6 specification. Thus, transcriptionally active Kreisler is required for r6 specification. Unlike mouse kr(enu)/kr(enu) and zebrafish val-/- embryos, kr/kr embryos exhibited anterior defects. We determined that the kr chromosomal inversion caused ectopic Kreisler expression in r3 of kr/kr and kr/+ embryos. Hence, Kreisler regulates maintenance and expansion of r5 and specification of r6 but is not required for r3 development.