The impact of blended learning on student performance in a cardiovascular pharmacotherapy course

To examine student engagement with, perception of, and performance resulting from blended learning for venous thromboembolism in a required cardiovascular pharmacotherapy course for second-year students.

In 2013, key foundational content was packaged into an interactive online module for students to access prior to coming to class; class time was dedicated to active-learning exercises.

Students who accessed all online module segments participated in more in class clicker questions (p=0.043) and performed better on the examination (p=0.023). There was no difference in clicker participation or examination performance based on time of module access (prior to or after class). The majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that foundational content learned prior to class, applied activities during class, and content-related questions in the online module greatly enhanced learning.

This study highlights the importance of integrating online modules with classroom learning and the role of blended learning in improving academic performance.