Process-oriented guided inquiry learning strategy enhances students' higher level thinking skills in a pharmaceutical sciences course.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) teaching strategy improves student performance and engages higher-level thinking skills of first-year pharmacy students in an Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences course.


METHODS
Overall examination scores and scores on questions categorized as requiring either higher-level or lower-level thinking skills were compared in the same course taught over 3 years using traditional lecture methods vs the POGIL strategy. Student perceptions of the latter teaching strategy were also evaluated.


RESULTS
Overall mean examination scores increased significantly when POGIL was implemented. Performance on questions requiring higher-level thinking skills was significantly higher, whereas performance on questions requiring lower-level thinking skills was unchanged when the POGIL strategy was used. Student feedback on use of this teaching strategy was positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the POGIL strategy increased student overall performance on examinations, improved higher-level thinking skills, and provided an interactive class setting.
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
Robert
R
Soltis
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
Nathan
N
Verlinden
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
Nicholas
N
Kruger
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
Ailey
A
Carroll
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
Tiffany
T
Trumbo
D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D013850:Thinking
POGIL; active learning; instructional assessment; process skills