Survey of methods of teaching and learning in undergraduate pharmacology within UK higher education

Handling of hazardous drugs - Effect of an innovative teaching session for nursing students

BACKGROUND

Imparting knowledge and practical skills in hazardous drug handling in nursing students' education is essential to prevent hazardous exposure and to preserve nurses' health.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed at comparing routine nursing education with an additional innovative teaching session.

DESIGN

A prospective controlled study in nursing students was conducted in two study periods: (i) a status-quo period (routine education on handling hazardous drugs) followed by (ii) an intervention period (additional innovative teaching session on handling hazardous drugs).

SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students at a vocational school were invited to participate voluntarily.

METHODS

In both study periods (i) and (ii), the following factors were analysed: (a) knowledge of hazardous drug handling by questionnaire, (b) practical skills in hazardous drug handling (e.g. cleaning) by a simulated handling scenario, (c) contamination with drug residuals on the work surface by fluorescent imaging.

RESULTS

Fifty-three nursing students were enrolled. (a) Median knowledge improved from status-quo (39% right answers) to intervention (65%, p<0.001), (b) practical skills improved from status-quo (53% of all participants cleaned the work surface) to intervention (92%, p<0.001). (c) Median number of particles/m² decreased from status-quo to intervention (932/97, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with routine education, knowledge and practical skills in hazardous drug handling were significantly improved after an innovative teaching session. Additionally, the amount of residuals on the work surface decreased. This indicates a lower risk for hazardous drug exposure.

An evaluation of pharmacology curricula in Australian science and health-related degree programs

BACKGROUND

Pharmacology is a biomedical discipline taught in basic science and professional degree programs. In order to provide information that would facilitate pharmacology curricula to be refined and developed, and approaches to teaching to be updated, a national survey was undertaken in Australia that investigated pharmacology course content, teaching and summative assessment methods.

METHODS

Twenty-two institutions participated in a purpose-built online questionnaire, which enabled an evaluation of 147 courses taught in 10 different degrees. To enable comparison, degrees were grouped into four major degree programs, namely science, pharmacy, medicine and nursing. The pharmacology content was then classified into 16 lecture themes, with 2-21 lecture topics identified per theme. The resultant data were analysed for similarities and differences in pharmacology curricula across the degree programs.

RESULTS

While all lecture themes were taught across degree programs, curriculum content differed with respect to the breadth and hours of coverage. Overall, lecture themes were taught most broadly in medicine and with greatest coverage in pharmacy. Reflecting a more traditional approach, lectures were a dominant teaching method (at least 90% of courses). Sixty-three percent of science courses provided practical classes but such sessions occurred much less frequently in other degree programs, while tutorials were much more common in pharmacy degree programs (70%). Notably, problem-based learning was common across medical programs. Considerable diversity was found in the types of summative assessment tasks employed. In science courses the most common form of in-semester assessment was practical reports, whereas in other programs pen-and-paper quizzes predominated. End-of-semester assessment contributed 50-80% to overall assessment across degree programs.

CONCLUSION

The similarity in lecture themes taught across the four different degree programs shows that common knowledge- and competency-based learning outcomes can be defined for pharmacology. The authors contend that it is the differences in breadth and coverage of material for each lecture theme, and the differing teaching modes and assessment that characterise particular degree programs. Adoption of pharmacology knowledge-based learning outcomes that could be tailored to suit individual degree programs would better facilitate the sharing of expertise and teaching practice than the current model where pharmacology curricula are degree-specific.

A review of computer assisted learning in medical undergraduates

Laboratory based practical classes, have been the corner stone of undergraduate pharmacology learning. Ethical issues with the use of animals and rapid development of information technology has led to newer trends in teaching and learning such as computer assisted learning. Computer assisted learning (CAL) software includes computer based packages, focusing on interactive instruction in a specific subject area, collection of animal experiments that encourage students to understand concepts in pharmacology. CAL offers a number of advantages to both students and teachers; most important being meeting the learning objectives. Few disadvantages and pitfalls to implementation in medical schools are also associated with CAL sessions. This article reviews the trend of CAL in pharmacology, advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls to the implementation of CAL.

The Impact of Introducing Computer-based Alternatives to the Use of Animals in the Teaching of Physiology and Pharmacology at Balkan Universities — A Pilot Study

Balkan universities use a substantial number of small mammals and amphibians in the teaching of physiology and pharmacology. This project investigated whether making computer-based alternatives readily available, and combining this availability with a staff development workshop focusing on methods of integrating such resources into undergraduate curricula, would have any effect on animal use. Teachers from 20 Institutes (from five Balkan countries) participated in the workshop. They presented information about animal use in teaching in their universities, and agreed to introduce at least one computer-based alternative into their teaching in the following year. They were surveyed by questionnaire before, during, and one year after, attending the workshop, in order to estimate any changes in animal use. The results showed a significant ( P < 0.01) reduction in animal use and a high level of implementation of the alternatives provided at the workshop. Teachers recognised the potential benefits of using computers to support their teaching. They lacked knowledge about what computer-based alternatives are available and how to find information about them, including published evidence of their educational effectiveness. In this pilot study, a combination of staff development and making alternatives readily available to teachers had a significant impact on animal use in the teaching of physiology and pharmacology.

Perceptions of student nurses regarding the use of a popular autobiography as a teaching tool

Recent studies encourage educators in nursing to use innovative and non-traditional teaching methods, such as using popular movies, posters, portfolios and surfing the internet, to stimulate students' interest, participation and interaction to enhance academic performance as well as knowledge retention. In this, descriptive cross-sectional study, we used self-administered questionnaires with statements graded on 5-points Likert scale (quantitative measures) and open-ended questions (qualitative measures), to assess the feasibility and students' perceptions regarding the use of Lance Armstrong's autobiography of surviving against cancer as a teaching tool. At the beginning of the lecture copies of selected chapters from: "It's Not About the Bike; My Journey Back to Life" [Armstrong, L., Jenkins, S. 2001. It's Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life. Yellow Jersey Press, Random House (Pty) Limited, Great Britain], were given to students. Willing students were requested to read for the whole class while the lecturer interjected periodically to explain and expound on certain pharmacological concepts. Eighty percent (80%) of participants felt that the use of an autobiography stimulated their interesting in cancer drugs and 84% agreed/strongly agreed that it contributed to their knowledge of pharmacology. Using Lance Armstrong's autobiography of survival to teach cytotoxic drugs is a worthwhile and rewarding exercise from the student nurses' perspective.

Teaching Pharmacology in 2010--new knowledge, new tools, new attitudes

Changes in pharmacology teaching are being driven by various pressures. These originate: from changes in the discipline itself; from government; from professional bodies; from students; from changes in teaching styles and opportunities; from academic staff; from ethical/animal rights considerations; from employers and from higher education institutions. These changes will require an alteration in the knowledge, skills and attitudes of academic pharmacologists as much as they will require changes in the way teaching is delivered and learning is facilitated. Pharmacology courses will be provided in a changed environment and must prepare students to work in a changed discipline as well as being appropriate for students who will take employment in non-pharmacology areas. Change is likely to centre around the curriculum, problem based learning, simulated practicals, peer assessment, use of the internet, information technology and interactive computer based learning, virtual learning environments and integrated medical courses. The most effective strategy to achieve the necessary changes is likely to involve collaboration between pharmacology teachers on a global scale and a general consciousness among current academic pharmacologists that we need to ensure tomorrow's academics are well prepared for the changed environment in which they will have to work.

Evaluating knowledge retention of third-year medical students taught with an innovative pharmacology program

PURPOSE

To explore the degree of retention of pharmacologic knowledge of third-year medical students taught in a new pharmacology teaching program.

METHOD

In 1997, the authors administered a retention test consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions, each with only one correct answer, to 457 third-year medical students at the National University of Mexico. Students were not told in advance about this diagnostic evaluation, which was given eight months after they completed the second-year pharmacology course. As a comparison, the authors also analyzed the results obtained by the same students in the three partial examinations taken during the second-year pharmacology course. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov procedure and Wilcoxon and chi-square tests were used to analyze data.

RESULTS

The distribution of scores obtained in the partial exams well approximated a symmetrical bell-shaped curve, and the mean score was 59.9%. In contrast, in the retention test the distribution was negatively skewed, the mean score (69.8%) was significantly higher (p <.001), and the curve was clearly displaced to the right of that corresponding to the partial exams. The percentage of students obtaining at least a passing score (60%) was considerably higher for the retention test (82.5 versus 51.9).

CONCLUSION

These findings, indicating that medical students taught in a new pharmacology program developed adequate basic pharmacologic knowledge, should encourage other medical schools to formally evaluate their teaching programs and continue efforts to improve pharmacologic education of medical students.