Communication Skills Enhancement for At-Risk First-Year Pharmacy Students

Communication Skills Enhancement for At-Risk First-Year Pharmacy Students Team Winners 2011 UQ Award for Programs that Enhance Learning

Miss Jacqueline Bond, School of Pharmacy
Dr Lynne Emmerton, School of Pharmacy
Ms Mary Cole, Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education
Ms Leigh McKauge, School of Pharmacy
Dr Wendy Green, Teaching and Educational Development Institute
Associate Professor Kathleen Steadman, School of Pharmacy
Ms Terrilyn Sweep, School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics
Ms Michele Feinberg, Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education
Ms Margaret Cannell, Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education
Ms Alessandra Rossi, Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education

Pharmacy is a communication-based profession, and communication competencies are assessed in all four years of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. Evidence of the academic and social challenges faced by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students prompted the implementation of a contextualised English Language Support Program for first-year pharmacy students in 2008.

The program is co-curricular and skills based, using pharmacy-specific exercises aligned with assessment tasks. This innovative approach is the result of multi-disciplinary collaboration between pharmacy academics and language and higher education experts.

The initiative has demonstrated positive outcomes in terms of participants’ academic performance and engagement since its introduction. Further, reflective data from the student participants, teachers and placement supervisors indicate the value of the program. The outcomes have been presented in at national and international academic forums, including one full reviewed paper and an award-winning presentation.
 

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