ALFP Debate: Online Certificates and Digital Badges Will Positively Disrupt Pharmacy Education

Abstract

ObjectiveOnline certificates and digital badges are increasingly being explored as a strategy to transform higher education. The primary objective was to describe the potential positive and negative effects of online certificates and digital badges on pharmacy education. MethodsThe Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) contributes to the development of leaders in the Academy. ALFP Fellows participate in a debate on current topics in academic pharmacy. For this topic, authors searched CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Ovid MEDLINE, and Scopus to identify publications (in English) about microcredentials, online certificates, and digital badges related to their use in healthcare education programs. Randomized controlled trials, controlled trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that focused on learning in higher education were included. All abstracts were reviewed independently by two authors for inclusion, and discrepancies were discussed to reach consensus. Each study was then summarized to identify themes related to the primary objective. ResultsThe literature search identified 681 unique articles (healthcare education n=607; education review articles n=74), of which 77 were included in full-text review. Potential benefits to pharmacy education from digital badges and online certificates included increasing admissions and enrollment, improving student-centered learning, and improving preparation for jobs after graduation through competency-based education. However, studies demonstrating these benefits are limited; administrative and technological issues persist; incentives to replace the current pharmacy education system are unspecified; and regulatory barriers to change remain. ConclusionsOnline certificates and digital badges are flexible tools with the potential to advance pharmacy education. However, questions about the unmet need they address, their value to stakeholder groups, including students, and their lack of standardization are limiting factors that impede their adoption.