Quantitative Assessment of Assisted Problem-based Learning in a Pharmaceutics Course

Objectives. To compare pharmacy students' performance on an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to their performance on a written examination for the assessment of problem-based learning (PBL); and to determine students' and faculty members' perceptions of OSCEs for PBL evaluations. Design. Four OSCEs were added to the written examination to assess 4 PBL cases in a third-year pharmacotherapy course. OSCE scores were compared to written examination scores. Faculty members evaluated student performance. Assessment. OSCE performance did not correlate with the written-examination scores. Most students ($ 75%) agreed that OSCEs reflected their learning from PBL and measured knowledge, communication, and clinical skills. A majority of faculty members ($75%) agreed that OSCEs should be part of PBL assessment. Conclusions. Addition of an OSCE to written examinations was valued and provided a more comprehensive assessment of the PBL experience.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Objective Structured Clinical Examination to Assess Problem-Based Learning

Salinitri

O’Connell

Garwood

et al. 2012

“…4 PBL has a long history in medical education and has been used successfully in pharmacy education to teach diabetes, pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacoeconomics, as well as many other subjects. [5][6][7][8][9] Students entering their advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) reported confidence in the material they had been taught using PBL, specifically medical information, basic science content regarding disease states, and patient-specific drug regimen evaluation. 10 Compared with PBL, inquiry-based learning has had less of an impact to date on pharmacy education.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active-Learning Processes Used in US Pharmacy Education

Stewart

Brown

Clavier

et al. 2011

135

103

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.

“…The adaptation in colleges and schools of pharmacy has ranged from implementation of PBL in disease-state management courses as well as elective and basic science courses for over 20 years. 5,[8][9][10][11] One of the first universities to use an online virtual case as a longitudinal approach assessed pharmacy students' learning styles. Two groups were compared to evaluate proficiency in basic knowledge retention, with the finding that all students in the virtual arm gave positive feedback.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Virtual-Patient Cases Versus Traditional Problem-Based Learning in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Al-Dahir

Bryant

Kennedy

et al. 2014

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of faculty-led problem-based learning (PBL) vs online simulatedpatient case in fourth-year (P4) pharmacy students. Design. Fourth-year pharmacy students were randomly assigned to participate in either online branchedcase learning using a virtual simulation platform or a small-group discussion. Preexperience and postexperience student assessments and a survey instrument were completed. Evaluation. While there were no significant differences in the preexperience test scores between the groups, there was a significant increase in scores in both the virtual-patient group and the PBL group between the preexperience and postexperience tests. The PBL group had higher postexperience test scores (74.8611.7) than did the virtual-patient group (66.5613.6) (p50.001).Conclusion. The PBL method demonstrated significantly greater improvement in postexperience test scores than did the virtual-patient method. Both were successful learning methods, suggesting that a diverse approach to simulated patient cases may reach more student learning styles.