Got curricular gaps? Here’s a tool to build a solution

By: Bob Bechtol, Ph.D.,  Emily Laswell, PharmD, BCPS, and Stephanie Tubb, PharmD, BCPS

Have you ever felt like there was a hole in your curriculum, but you were not certain it existed? Have you wanted to address the issue but did not know where to build the solution? An analytical tool that some have used to help is called a “gap analysis.” 

Gap analysis is a process of comparing your current state to your desired future state. Many individuals or organizations use this tool for internal analysis to see where they are currently, evaluate where they want to go, and develop a plan to bridge the gap. Gap analysis is often done in the business and environmental fields; however, it may be less commonly reported in pharmacy education.^1,2 This blog post provides a few building blocks to incorporate into a gap analysis within pharmacy curricula. 

A gap analysis within a pharmacy school curriculum is best performed when information is gathered from various areas and stakeholders. This allows you to see better the “big picture” of your area of concern and gather a wide array of information that you can use to create smaller-scale interventions.³ The information you gather can be assembled together to form a solid intervention.

Building Blocks of a Curricular Gap Analysis

Step 1: Assess the Evidence

When starting to determine if there is an issue in your curriculum, the foundational building block of your gap analysis is to assess the evidence. This consists of reviewing the current literature and evaluating your school’s current outcomes on the issue, if available. Once the evidence confirms that your issue truly exists, you can add your next building block.

Step 2: Gather Input from External Stakeholders

Gathering input from your external stakeholders, such as preceptors and alumni, can speak to their perceptions of the identified issue. This information can be gathered via surveys, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, or direct observation. Sample questions to ask can be found in the table below. You should expand your data with the next building block. 

Step 3: Gain Input from Internal Users

Your students, who are familiar with the ins and outs of your program, can provide insight from their current perspective. Because of the ever-changing landscape of curricula, including changes to faculty, pedagogy, and best practices, alumni and preceptors’ experiences may differ from current students’ perspectives. Questions asked of your internal users are likely to be similar or identical to those asked of your external stakeholders. Received data can then be compared for patterns and discrepancies. 

Step 4: Solicit Input from Your Team

Lastly, solicit input from your team. Gathering information from your department or your school’s faculty will allow you to “view” the blueprint of your curriculum and identify areas for change regarding your identified issue. They can provide insight into how this topic is currently covered in the content and where/how it could be better covered in the curriculum. Practice faculty can give additional perspectives on what skills your students will need in practice. When looking at these assessments comprehensively, you can shape a curricular intervention that most effectively and efficiently meets the needs of your school. 

An Example of a Curricular Gap Analysis

We have used these building blocks in our curriculum to evaluate an issue and develop an intervention, outlined in the table below. 

Building Blocks	Examples of Questions to Consider	Our Example Application
Assess the Evidence	What does the literature say? What do my school’s current outcomes show?	The literature review revealed a potential weakness in pharmacy curricula regarding end-of-life care (EOLC).4,5
Gather Input from External Stakeholders	Do alumni feel the topic was covered? What were perceptions of the breadth and depth of the topic? Was the pedagogical approach effective? Do preceptors notice the identified knowledge gap in your students?	A survey of alumni showed comfort with their own emotions during EOLC scenarios but a lack of training/resources for helping families and other professionals.
Gain Input from Internal Users	Do students feel the topic was covered? What were perceptions of the breadth and depth of the topic? Was the pedagogical approach effective? Do students feel prepared to encounter this topic in practice?	The survey of APPE students was similar to external stakeholders
Solicit Input from Your Team	How is this topic covered in your content? Where/how could this topic be better covered in our curriculum? What skills do our students need in this area?	One-on-one interviews with practice faculty suggestions on improving the didactic curriculum: expert panels EOLC scenarios, and interprofessional simulations

As you brainstorm solutions to your own curricular issues, consider how you can utilize these building blocks to bridge the gap. Where could you apply a gap analysis in your curriculum? How can these building blocks help you think about this process? What curricular gaps do you need to bridge? 

References

1. Gap Analysis. Gap Analysis | U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed May 12, 2023.  
2. Sapokota B, Palaian S, Shrestha S, Ozaki A, Ibrahim MIM, Jakovljevic M. Gap analysis in manufacturing, innovation, and marketing of medical devices in the Asia-Pacific region. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2022;22(7):1043-1050. doi: 10.1080/14737167.2022.2086122
3. How to conduct a gap analysis: quick tips. The University of Toronto. 2020. Accessed March 21, 2023. https://www.cpd.utoronto.ca/quicktips-docs/04-How-to-Conduct-a-Gap-Analysis.pdf
4. Herndon C, Lider J. Palliative and end of life care content within common pharmacy textbooks. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2019;11(1):10-15. doi 10.1016/j.cptl.2018.09.020.
5. Pruskowski J, Patel R, Brazeau G. The need for palliative care in pharmacy education. Am J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(5) Article 7410:719-726. doi https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe7410

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Author Bio(s): 

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Pulses is a scholarly blog supported by Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning