Development of active learning modules in pharmacology for small group teaching

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pharmacology Teaching
• Active Learning Strategies

Background:

• Current Indian undergraduate medical pharmacology education focuses on drug-centered factual knowledge, neglecting essential pharmacotherapeutic skills.
• Active learning methods are proposed to be more effective in developing these crucial skills among medical students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and compare active learning modules with traditional tutorial methods for teaching pharmacology to undergraduate medical students.
• To assess the impact of these teaching strategies on students' pharmacotherapeutic skills and learning experience.

Main Methods:

• Ninety second-year medical students were randomized into active learning and tutorial learning groups, with a crossover design for two topics.
• Active learning involved case scenarios, prescription appraisal, and drug identification; traditional learning used conventional tutorials.
• Performance was evaluated using pre- and post-tests, supplemented by feedback questionnaires on teaching effectiveness and student interaction.

Main Results:

• Active learning groups showed significant improvements in post-test scores compared to tutorial groups (P < 0.05).
• Students perceived active learning as more interactive, enhancing understanding, intellectual curiosity, and self-learning.
• Despite preferring active learning for engagement, a majority favored tutorial methods for examination performance.

Conclusions:

• Active learning environments are preferred by students for engagement and skill development in pharmacology.
• A discrepancy exists between preferred learning methods for engagement and those perceived as beneficial for examination success.
• Further research is needed to optimize active learning modules for various pharmacology topics to improve overall learning outcomes.