Student knowledge and confidence in an elective clinical toxicology course using active-learning techniques

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Clinical Toxicology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Elective clinical toxicology courses are crucial for advanced pharmacy students.
• Assessing knowledge and confidence is key to understanding learning outcomes.
• Active learning strategies enhance student engagement and knowledge retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in knowledge and confidence levels among Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students.
• To assess the impact of an elective clinical toxicology course on student learning.
• To explore the correlation between knowledge acquisition and self-assessed confidence.

Main Methods:

• Implemented active-learning techniques, including student-led presentations and peer evaluations.
• Utilized weekly quizzes and topic-based discussions to foster a learner-centered environment.
• Administered a pretest and posttest instrument to measure knowledge and confidence scores.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in both knowledge and confidence scores were observed from pretest to posttest.
• Students demonstrated a strong correlation between their knowledge gains and confidence levels.
• The findings indicate improved self-assessment capabilities post-course completion.

Conclusions:

• The clinical toxicology course effectively enhanced students' knowledge and confidence.
• Increased confidence scores suggest improved metacognitive skill development in self-assessment.
• Confidence can serve as a valuable metric for evaluating metacognitive skill development in pharmacy education.