Pharmacy students' ability to think about thinking.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate students' metacognitive skills to distinguish what they know from what they do not know, to assess students' prediction of performance on a summative examination, and to compare student-identified incorrect questions with actual examination performance in order to improve exam quality.


METHODS
Students completed a test-taking questionnaire identifying items perceived to be incorrect and rating their test-taking ability.


RESULTS
Higher performing students evidenced better metacognitive skills by more accurately identifying incorrect items on the exam. Most students (86%) underpredicted their performance on the summative examination (actual = 73.6 ± 7.1 versus predicted = 63.7 ± 10.5, p < 0.05). Student responses helped refine items and resulted in examination changes.


CONCLUSIONS
Metacognition is important to the development of life-long learning in pharmacy students. Students able to monitor what they know and what they do not know can improve their performance.
University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Eric F
EF
Schneider
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Ashley N
AN
Castleberry
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Office of Educational Development, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Jasna
J
Vuk
Sullivan University College of Pharmacy, Louisville, Kentucky.
Cindy D
CD
Stowe
D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking
life-long learning; metacognition; test-taking ability