A Critical Thinking Activity on Drug Tolerance for Undergraduate Neuroscience Courses

Active teaching techniques that involve critical thinking and analysis lead to better learning and retention, and there is growing need for learner-centered classroom activities in the neurosciences. This article presents a critical thinking activity that offers context and meaning to basic principles of synaptic pharmacology. Students analyze fictional datasets to identify major characteristics of drug tolerance. Students' self-reported perceptions and ungraded quiz scores suggest that this activity was an enjoyable and impactful way to deepen students' understanding and engage them with the course material. This activity was developed for a 300-level psychopharmacology course that included majors from various science departments, but could be used and/or modified for specialized seminars or other undergraduate courses in psychology or biology.