title: Student-led objective tutorials in Pharmacology: An interventional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Students learn in a better way if they are involved in active learning. Hence, the study was designed to introduce student-led objective tutorials (SLOTs) as an alternative to conventional tutorials (CTs) in pharmacology and to compare SLOT and CT on outcomes such as improved score in tests, active involvement of students, and faculty requirement of each.
  
  
  METHODS
  Didactic lectures taken on a topic in pharmacology were followed by a preintervention test for a batch of the 2ndyear medical undergraduates. They were allotted either in SLOT or CT group. For a SLOT session, students of Group A (interventional group) were divided into teams and each team prepared five multiple choice questions on the given topic in PowerPoint format, which were presented to other teams and audience. The proceedings were facilitated by two lecturers. Group B undertook CT (controls). A postintervention test was then taken for both groups. Feedback was sought from students and teachers on SLOT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total marks for the test were 20. The mean marks in Group A improved by 31% (from 5.1 to 11.2). In Group B, they improved by 11% (from 5 to 7.2). Academic performance following SLOT was better than CT. Students (63%) favored SLOT as it stimulated their interest in the topic, improved self-learning skills, and teamwork. The teachers also favored SLOT for similar reasons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SLOT leads to greater satisfaction and better performance in tests. SLOT is an effective alternative to CT to promote active learning among students through group work. It helps overcome the logistic difficulties due to faculty shortage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, MP Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Anupama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sukhlecha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, MP Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Shilpa P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, MP Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Tushar R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Gosai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, MP Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Divakar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Balusamy
mesh_terms: D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D010600:Pharmacology / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Active learning; SLOT is an effective alternative to conventional tutorials to promote active learning among students through group work. It helps overcome logistic difficulties due to faculty shortage.; audiovisual aids; teaching-learning methods; tutorials