Paavo Tanskanen

A Method for Teaching Communication in Pharmacy in Authentic Work Situations

Studies consistently confirm that there is an extensive need for new theoretical and practical directions for communication in disciplines (CID) programmes. The CID pedagogy calls for more specialized training with more specialized methods in particular professions. This study presents a method developed for practical training studies in pharmacy based on the CID framework. The data (N=481) were collected from both students and mentors via online surveys using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results strongly suggest that the teaching method is highly suitable for teaching discipline-specific communication skills in authentic work situations. The study shows that the CID pedagogy has potential in helping mentors improve their communication competence while they are supervising students.

Evaluating the use of criteria for assessing profession-specific communication skills in pharmacy

One central task in higher education is to provide students with interpersonal communication competence in their profession. To achieve this, specialised training, based on an understanding of disciplinary communication practices and appropriate assessment methods, is needed. However, there is a lack of reliable assessment instruments which are designed to assess profession-specific communication skills and to strengthen students’ reflective skills. This study evaluated the reliability and consistency of teacher evaluations based on developed criteria, and tested the suitability of the criteria as a tool for reflecting on one’s behaviour in pharmacy. The main findings suggest that professionally tailored criteria offer a reliable framework for assessing discipline-specific communication skills and for improving students’ learning. The approach and the methods used in this study could be applied in other disciplines as well, in order to promote the development of students’ communication skills and reflective action, and to improve profession-specific assessment practices.