A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Basic Pharmacokinetics and the Significance of Face-to-Face Interaction

Abstract

Objective. To assess pharmacy students' attitudes towards a blended-learning pharmacokinetics course. Design. Narrated visual presentations and animations that illustrated kinetic processes and guided students through the use of software programs used for calculations were created. Other learning techniques used included online self-assessment quizzes, practice problem sets, and weekly face-toface problem-solving tutorials. Assessment. A precourse questionnaire to assess students' level of enthusiasm towards the blendedlearning course and to solicit any concerns they had was administered at the beginning of the course. A postcourse questionnaire that included the same 4 Likert-scale items from the precourse questionnaire and follow-up open-ended questions was administered. Individual changes in level of enthusiasm were compared for individuals who completed both the precourse and postcourse questionnaire. Students' concerns about the blended method of learning had decreased postcourse while their enthusiasm for the benefits of blended learning had increased. Conclusion. Students' initial concerns about the blended learning experience were focused on their ability to communicate with the instructor about the online components, but shifted to their own time management skills at the end of the course. Face-to-face interactions with each other and with the instructor were more highly rated than online interactions in this course.Keywords: pharmacokinetics, blended learning, student questionnaire, interaction, social presence INTRODUCTIONThe integration of face-to-face and online instruction and interaction to design ''blended''courses is a strategy that has found solid acceptance in higher education and corporate training programs over the last decade.1 At the University of Waterloo a blended course is one where welldesigned online activities are integrated with face-to-face interaction. Higher satisfaction levels among faculty members and students, better learning outcomes for students, and increased access and flexibility in the time, pace, and place of learning are all cited as strengths in blended-learning courses as compared to traditional lecture-based courses. 2-6Opportunities for collaborative learning and for studentfaculty interactions are key to the success to blended courses and increase student satisfaction. 7,8 Garrison and Kanuka argue that blended learning has ''transformative potential'' and can support the formation of communities of inquiry.9 Communities of inquiry in blended courses support students' need for cognitive and social presence and rely on a strong teaching presence by the instructor. The inclusion of thoughtfully designed course components that encourage active participation in the learning process are critical to the success of blended courses. [10][11][12] Blended course design models are effective in teaching pharmacy students in the areas of microbiology, adult acute care medicine, pharmaceutical biotechnology, and cardiovascular pharmacotherapy. [13][14][15][16] In general, these...

An Active-Learning Strategies Primer for Achieving Ability-Based Educational Outcomes

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Advanced Screencasting With Embedded Assessments in Pathophysiology and Therapeutics Course Modules

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