Enhancing Team‐based Learning of Pharmacology Using Technology‐assisted Prerequisite Content Preparation
Authors: Malhotra Ashim 
Published: June 2021

Multiple modalities are encouraged for creating and enhancing active learning in pharmacology pedagogy in pharmacy and medical schools. Team‐based learning engages students in a detailed pedagogy that begins with pre‐class self‐directed preparation, leading up to an in‐class individual Readiness Assurance Test (iRAT), which can be set by the program to mandate a certain level of competency by individual students. Typically, the iRAT is subsequently administered to the entire team as a team Readiness Assurance Test (tRAT). Based on the iRAT performance, a short lecture is delivered, emphasizing possible areas of class deficiency identified by the iRAT. Finally, students are asked to work in teams on application exercises. Although TBL is very effective in encouraging active participation in and out of class, team dynamics and other factors may lead to grade inflation when team scores mask and enhance the performance of borderline students. The California Northstate University College of Pharmacy employs a hybrid‐TBL approach to engage learners in an active learning environment, with multiple didactic courses in the first, second and third professional years (P1, P2, P3) of the Doctor of Pharmacy program. To enhance TBL delivery in our pharmacology courses, we prepared a series of video lectures using online technology to help students prepare for their iRATs and tRATs. These short “Info‐Blast” video lectures were typically 30–40 minutes in length, posted to YouTube, and emphasized the salient learning objectives, goals, terminology, and concepts included in prerequisite content required for upcoming pharmacology course lectures. Lectures included Pharmacogenomics, Biotechnology and An Introduction to Viruses in the Cell and Molecular Biology course (P1), and the pathophysiology of arrhythmia, the pharmacology of antiarrhythmic drugs, dyslipidemia, and dyslipidemia drugs in the Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II, Cardiovascular Sciences course (P2). The YouTube videos were accompanied by documents detailing self‐directed Learning Objectives and a Practice Question Workbook, all of which were posted at least two weeks ahead of the class. Students provided comments and suggestions verbally and via email which were strongly positive. Student iRAT scores and exam performance scores were captured using TurningPoint and ExamSoft and showed a positive correlation with the number of hours spent watching the video lectures. Among the advantages mentioned by students was the ease of access, the ability to repeat the lecture and detailed clarity added to expectations regarding outcomes and performance. One disadvantage mentioned was the extra time needed to prepare using the enhanced content, which we hope to address by using online technology such as InsertLearning to incorporate textual sources with the posted video lectures.

Support or Funding Information

The work was supported by the California Northstate University College of Pharmacy

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.