Leveraging active learning through student-generated questions and electronic posters in a physiology course

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Physiology
• Active Learning

Background:

• Traditional lectures may not fully develop critical thinking and practical application skills in pharmacy students.
• Active learning strategies like student-generated MCQs and e-posters offer supplementary approaches to enhance foundational science education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate first-year pharmacy students' perceptions of active learning strategies.
• To assess the effectiveness of integrating MCQ generation and e-poster preparation into a physiology course.
• To compare academic performance with traditional teaching methods.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire to assess student engagement, satisfaction, recall, comprehension, and application skills.
• Comparison of academic performance within the same cohort across semesters and with a previous cohort using traditional methods.

Main Results:

• Over 70% of students reported improved comprehension, recall, and clinical reasoning with both MCQs and e-posters.
• MCQ generation alone enhanced summative assessment performance, while e-posters improved qualitative outcomes and skill development.
• Students using active learning strategies achieved higher mean scores than the traditional group, with consistent performance across semesters.

Conclusions:

• Integrating student-generated MCQs and e-posters fosters deeper understanding, engagement, and skill development in foundational science for pharmacy students.
• These active learning approaches support meaningful learning and higher-order thinking, enhancing the overall educational experience.
• The combination of these strategies effectively supplements traditional lectures, preparing students for practical application in their pharmacy careers.