Active-Learning Processes Used in US Pharmacy Education

Abstract

Objective. To document the type and extent of active-learning techniques used in US colleges and schools of pharmacy as well as factors associated with use of these techniques. Methods. A survey instrument was developed to assess whether and to what extent active learning was used by faculty members of US colleges and schools of pharmacy. This survey instrument was distributed via the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) mailing list. Results. Ninety-five percent (114) of all US colleges and schools of pharmacy were represented with at least 1 survey among the 1179 responses received. Eighty-seven percent of respondents used activelearning techniques in their classroom activities. The heavier the teaching workload the more activelearning strategies were used. Other factors correlated with higher use of active-learning strategies included younger faculty member age (inverse relationship), lower faculty member rank (inverse relationship), and departments that focused on practice, clinical and social, behavioral, and/or administrative sciences. Conclusions. Active learning has been embraced by pharmacy educators and is used to some extent by the majority of US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Future research should focus on how activelearning methods can be used most effectively within pharmacy education, how it can gain even broader acceptance throughout the academy, and how the effect of active learning on programmatic outcomes can be better documented.

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning Strategy Enhances Students’ Higher Level Thinking Skills in a Pharmaceutical Sciences Course

“…[10][11][12] In the pharmacy academy, active-learning strategies are recognized as important to achieving educational outcomes and, therefore, widely adopted in professional programs. [13][14][15] However, the use of active-learning strategies is not uniformly distributed. Faculty members in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences are 3 times less likely than faculty members in the clinical and social and administrative sciences to use these techniques.…”

“…Faculty members in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences are 3 times less likely than faculty members in the clinical and social and administrative sciences to use these techniques. 15 Process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) is a teaching strategy that was initially developed in college chemistry and biology courses and is used successfully to engage students in the classroom and to promote learning. [16][17][18][19][20] The POGIL strategy begins with introducing students to a model, diagram, problem, or set of data and then requires them to work as a team to answer a series of questions leading to development of a concept or principle (guided inquiry).…”

An Empirical Study of Neural Network-Based Audience Response Technology in a Human Anatomy Course for Pharmacy Students

“…In fact, ARS is one of the most commonly used active learning strategies in US Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy [4]. Our experiment has shown that ARSs can be used to practice critical-thinking skills [45] since the MCQs included the determination of pros and cons of different concepts of human anatomy.…”

“…A recent study reported that about 87% of all colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States (US) use active learning techniques [4]. One of the most beneficial means of active learning is collaborative learning, which can be achieved by putting students in small groups to work on a topic [5].…”

“…Clickers or audience response systems (ARSs) are just one of the educational technologies in health science education in general, and pharmacy in particular, and it is noteworthy that 45% of US colleges and schools of pharmacy have adopted audience response systems or clickers as an active learning strategy [4]. An ARS is a handheld piece of equipment which allows students to respond electronically to questions, typically in the multiple-choice format, that instructors pose in class.…”