Taylor Raiche recognized as a 2026 USask Assessment Champion

Taylor Raiche, Director of Pharmacy Experiential Learning in the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, has been recognized as a 2026 USask Assessment Champion for advancing authentic, practical and student-centred assessment in pharmacy education.

Assessment Champions are USask educators recognized for creative and effective assessment practices. The 2026 cohort includes representatives from nine colleges and schools who have collaborated throughout the year to share promising practices, lead workshops and contribute to university-wide conversations about assessment and student success. Visit the Assessment Champions page for more info. 

Raiche’s work focuses on skills development, self-assessment and workplace learning within the college’s Pharmacy Experiential Learning program, where students apply and build on foundational knowledge and skills in real-world practice settings.

Over the past three years, Raiche and her colleagues have redesigned the program’s assessment and evaluation approach to better reflect contemporary, competency-based pharmacy practice. The team continues to refine its assessment tools, incorporating feedback from students and assessors to improve clarity, usability and fairness.

“I am proud of what we have done and feel our approach is applicable to other disciplines here on campus,” said Raiche. “I'm a big believer that sharing knowledge and experience makes us all better.”

As an Assessment Champion, Raiche has shared her assessment philosophy and the College’s experiential learning assessment practices with the broader university community. On April 30, 2026, she presented at the USask Assessment Conference and later facilitated a workshop during Gwenna Moss’ Fall Fortnight, contributing to conversations about effective assessment practices.

Raiche believes assessment should do more than measure performance. It should help students recognize their strengths, identify opportunities for growth and develop the professional judgment needed to make safe, informed decisions. According to Raiche, authentic learning experiences, clear expectations and meaningful feedback create opportunities for self-reflection, growth and continuous improvement.

 “Assessments need to be anchored in a feedback loop that helps the learner to self-assess with accuracy and humility,” said Raiche.

She also views assessment as an important part of professional identity formation. As students transition from learners to practicing pharmacists, they must learn to navigate the responsibilities and expectations of their profession while developing their own professional values. In experiential learning settings, preceptors play an important role in that process by supporting students through increasingly complex situations, providing timely feedback and helping them accurately assess their own abilities.

Her work reflects the college’s commitment to preparing future pharmacists to make thoughtful, responsible decisions that support the safe and effective use of medications and improve health outcomes for individuals and communities.