Enhancing knowledge acquisition and engagement in medicinal chemistry: The role of interactive video modules in...

Medicinal chemistry principles are vital for pharmaceutical care, yet mastering them remains a pedagogical challenge. While asynchronous resources offer flexibility, traditional videos may limit student engagement. This study evaluated interactive video modules designed to encourage active participation through integrated learning checkpoints.

A quasi-experimental, one-group design was conducted with third-year pharmacy students. Two H5P-based interactive video modules (general and local anesthetics) were developed, each containing 26-27 interactive checkpoints. Data collection included pre- and post-test scores, Hake's normalized gain (〈g〉), and a satisfaction survey. YouTube Analytics was utilized to describe behavioral engagement.

Of the 98 students initially enrolled in the study, 85 participants (86.7%) completed both pre- and post-tests. These participants showed significant improvements in mean scores for general anesthetics (5.62 ± 1.95 to 7.72 ± 0.55; p < .001) and local anesthetics (7.09 ± 4.28 to 11.94 ± 2.18; p < .001). The general anesthetics module achieved a high normalized gain (〈g〉 = 0.86), while the local anesthetics module yielded a medium gain (〈g〉 = 0.58). In the perception survey, 36 participants provided feedback, reporting high overall satisfaction with the interactive modules. YouTube Analytics for all 98 enrolled students revealed engagement spikes that aligned with the checkpoints, suggesting re-watching behavior during these specific content segments.

Interactive video modules were associated with enhanced knowledge acquisition, positive student perceptions, and distinct engagement patterns in medicinal chemistry. These findings suggested the potential value of this asynchronous format for integration into the pharmacy curriculum to support student learning.