Expanding voluntary active-learning opportunities for pharmacy students in a Respiratory Physiology Module.
OBJECTIVE
To expand voluntary active-learning opportunities for bachelor of pharmacy students enrolled in a third-year human physiology and pharmacology course and determine whether the additional course components improved learning outcomes.


METHODS
Additional voluntary active-learning opportunities including a large-class tutorial, additional formative assessment, and an online discussion were added to the Respiratory Physiology Module of the course. Examination scores were compared with those from previous years. A questionnaire was administered to assess students' perception of the active-learning components.


RESULTS
Mean examination scores increased from 69.3% +/- 24.4% in 2003 to 88.9% +/- 13.4% in 2004 and 86.9% +/- 17.6% in 2005, after the addition of the active-learning components. Students' overall perception of the value of the active-learning activities was positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of voluntary active-learning course components to a required pharmacy course resulted in improved student examination scores, and decreased failure rate, and were accomplished at low cost and with little additional staff time.
Ernst
Hardy
H
The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia. h.ernst@uq.edu.au
Colthorpe
Kay
K
D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires