Utilizing a podcast to supplement common medication learning.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• Podcasts are increasingly used in education to supplement traditional learning.
• Integrating podcasts can enhance student engagement and knowledge retention outside the classroom.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a podcast in reinforcing foundational medication knowledge for first-year pharmacy students.
• To evaluate student reception and engagement with podcast-based learning.

Main Methods:

• A podcast series was developed covering the top 200 commonly prescribed medications.
• Student learning was assessed using pre- and post-tests to measure knowledge improvement.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in student performance on post-tests compared to pre-tests (p=0.0011) with a notable effect size (r=0.39).
• Students found the podcast content easy to follow and enjoyed peer-to-peer learning.
• The podcast series achieved 882 total plays, indicating substantial student access and engagement.

Conclusions:

• The podcast effectively enhanced drug knowledge and was positively received by pharmacy students.
• Podcasts serve as a valuable supplementary tool for reinforcing academic material in pharmacy education.
• This approach supports both in-class and independent learning for students.