Using debate to teach pharmacy students about ethical issues.
OBJECTIVE
To create, implement, and evaluate debate as a method of teaching pharmacy undergraduate students about ethical issues.


METHODS
Debate workshops with 5 hours of contact with student peers and facilitators and 5 hours of self-study were developed for second-year pharmacy students. Student development of various skills and understanding of the topic were assessed by staff members and student peers.


RESULTS
One hundred fifty students completed the workshops. The mean score for debating was 25.9 out of 30, with scores ranging from 23.2 to 28.7. Seventy percent of students agreed that the debates were a useful teaching method in the degree program.


CONCLUSIONS
A series of workshops using debates effectively delivered course content on ethical issues and resulted in pharmacy students developing skills such as teamwork, peer assessment, communication, and critical evaluation. These findings suggest that pharmacy students respond favorably to a program using debates as a teaching tool.
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Lezley-Anne
LA
Hanna
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Johanne
J
Barry
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Ryan
R
Donnelly
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Fiona
F
Hughes
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
David
D
Jones
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Garry
G
Laverty
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Carole
C
Parsons
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom.
Cristin
C
Ryan
D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D004522:Educational Status; D004994:Ethics, Pharmacy / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007858:Learning; D010379:Peer Group; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D013850:Thinking
communication skills; critical evaluation; debate; ethics; team-based learning