A Learner-led, Discussion-based Elective on Emerging Infectious Disease

Making It Matter: Increasing Student-Perceived Value of Microbiology through Reflective and Critical News Story Analysis

Even before coverage and updates on COVID-19 became a daily event in mainstream news, mass media was already full of science-focused current events stories. While relevant to our everyday lives, many popular press science articles overstate conclusions, misstate details or, at worst, purposefully spread disinformation. This iterative news analysis and writing intervention was designed to increase the visibility of real-world applications of microbiology in current events (including and beyond the 2019 coronavirus disease [COVID-19] pandemic), thereby engaging students and cultivating motivation through a positive perception of course content in accordance with expectancy-value theory. This intervention can be scaled and has been successfully used in both large- and small-enrollment microbiology classes as an active learning strategy. Students engage in science literacy at multiple levels, starting with identifying credible sources, then summarizing news articles, relating them to course content, conveying the main ideas to lay audiences, identifying in turn misleading or omitted ideas, and finally writing potential exam questions on the topic. This multifaceted analysis allows students to interact with material at many different levels in a self-directed manner as students seek out and choose articles to share with their peers. To date, anecdotal evidence suggests positive gains in student interest and perceived value of studying science.

Undergraduate pharmacy students' perceived learning using a team-based debate approach

INTRODUCTION

Currently, teaching and learning in higher institutions is moving away from traditional didactic lecture-based learning towards student-centered learning. The objectives of this study were to implement a team debate as a method of teaching and learning about pharmacy regulatory issues, and evaluate students' perceptions of a team debate.

METHODS

This was a pre-and post-study with a validated 11-item online questionnaire. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations, and percentages), while paired sample t-test was used to compare pre- and post-study mean scores of the survey items. P values < .05 were taken to be statistically significant.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-two students enrolled in a mandatory "Pharmacy Regulation and Control" course at a Nigerian University during the 2020 academic year participated in the study. The average age of the participants was 25.56 ± 2.96 years (Range = 20-38 years), and the majority were males (n = 99, 69.7%). All the questionnaire items and the total score improved significantly (P < .05) after the group debate exercise.

CONCLUSION

The study shows that team debate was well received by the participants and demonstrates that incorporation of team-based debate into a didactic style course improved student's self-perceived learning. Thus, it is recommended that pharmacy educators in Nigeria should consider incorporating team debate to complement didactic teaching to enhance learning.

Use of journal clubs and book clubs in pharmacy education: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Journal clubs and book clubs are educational activities used in health sciences education to teach evidence-based decision-making, critical thinking, and appraisal skills, and build trainee understanding about important professional issues. The main objective of this scoping review was to identify and synthesize all research studies on journal or book clubs for pharmacy learners. A secondary objective was to identify gaps in the literature where future research would be beneficial to pharmacy educators and learners.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was run across five databases. Studies were screened using a two stage, blinded, independent screening process.

RESULTS

Forty-two studies met all inclusion criteria; 86% reported on journal clubs and 14% on book clubs. Of the journal club studies, 50% were in didactic courses, 33% in experiential education, and 17% were co-curricular initiatives. Of the six book club studies, 67% were within didactic courses and 33% were co-curricular initiatives, including the only interprofessional education study. Most journal clubs were used to teach evidence-based practice, drug literature evaluation, or biostatistics. Book clubs were more focused on soft skills or topics students were less likely to encounter in the core curriculum.

IMPLICATIONS

Future research on journal clubs and book clubs in pharmacy education should continue to assess student learning outcomes and abilities. Specifically, future studies should move beyond evaluating student perceptions of journal clubs to investigate effectiveness for topics other than drug literature evaluation or evidence-based practice, and the impact of journal clubs and book clubs on interprofessional knowledge, communication, and team dynamics.

Training and education of healthcare workers during viral epidemics: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

It is necessary to train a large number of healthcare workers (HCW) within a limited time to ensure adequate human resources during an epidemic. There remains an urgent need for best practices on development and implementation of training programmes.

OBJECTIVE

To explore published literature in relation to training and education for viral epidemics as well as the effect of these interventions to inform training of HCW.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic searches in five databases performed between 1 January 2000 and 24 April 2020 for studies reporting on educational interventions in response to major viral epidemics.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

All studies on educational interventions developed, implemented and evaluated in response to major global viral outbreaks from 2000 to 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Healthcare workers.

INTERVENTIONS

Educational or training interventions.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

Descriptive information were extracted and synthesised according to content, competency category, educational methodology, educational effects and level of educational outcome. Quality appraisal was performed using a criterion-based checklist.

RESULTS

A total of 15 676 records were identified and 46 studies were included. Most studies were motivated by the Ebola virus outbreak with doctors and nurses as primary learners. Traditional didactic methods were commonly used to teach theoretical knowledge. Simulation-based training was used mainly for training of technical skills, such as donning and doffing of personal protective equipment. Evaluation of the interventions consisted mostly of surveys on learner satisfaction and confidence or tests of knowledge and skills. Only three studies investigated transfer to the clinical setting or effect on patient outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS

The included studies describe important educational experiences from past epidemics with a variety of educational content, design and modes of delivery. High-level educational evidence is limited. Evidence-based and standardised training programmes that are easily adapted locally are recommended in preparation for future outbreaks.

An Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum to Incorporate in the South African Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree Program

Objective. To develop an antimicrobial stewardship curriculum that is suitable for incorporation in the undergraduate pharmacy degree programs offered by South African schools of pharmacy. Methods. A mixed methods approach was employed involving four consecutive study phases: content analysis, academic review, expert consultation, and curriculum development. The curriculum development phase involved collation of the findings of the prior three study phases. Results. The final proposed antimicrobial stewardship curriculum included recommendations for: level of incorporation of the curriculum in the undergraduate degree program, minimum contact hours, pedagogical techniques, and assessment methods. The curriculum content was split into four units: pharmacology for antimicrobial stewardship, microbiology for antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial stewardship in practice, and hospital antimicrobial stewardship. Conclusion. An antimicrobial stewardship curriculum that highlights key findings in relation to the role of the pharmacist in antimicrobial stewardship was developed. This was the first such study conducted in South Africa.

Strategies, Ideas, and Lessons Learned While Engaging in SoTL Without Formal Training

Most pharmacy faculty members are more confident in their foundation as research scientists or clinical pharmacists than with the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). However, many wish to enter this rewarding field of scholarship in order to test pedagogical innovations, measure teaching effectiveness, and share success with the Academy. This commentary provides general advice for those who wish to explore SoTL but lack formal education and training in this area. Four opportunities are highlighted: educational research, small activities and projects, course redesign, and longitudinal assessment and evaluation.

Antimicrobial stewardship education in US colleges and schools of pharmacy

Background

Pharmacists are key members of antimicrobial stewardship (AS) teams. It is unknown if and how US colleges and schools of pharmacy incorporate AS into their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula.

Methods

This study was a cross-sectional, multicentre, electronic survey distributed to infectious diseases faculty or department chairs of 137 accredited and candidate-status PharmD programmes.

Results

One hundred and sixteen programmes participated, representing an 84.7% response rate. AS education was integrated into the required didactic, elective didactic and experiential education components of the curricula in 79 (68.1%), 43 (37.1%) and 97 (83.6%) PharmD programmes, respectively. The most common AS topics in required and elective didactic curricula were AS definitions, principles and purpose (98.7% and 86.0%) and the pharmacist's role in AS (93.7% and 83.7%). In the required and elective didactic curricula, lecture (93.7% and 86.0%) and case-based instruction (57.0% and 83.7%) were the most common instructional methods. For experiential education, the pharmacist's role in AS (96.9%), de-escalation of antimicrobials (96.9%) and antimicrobial dose optimization (95.9%) were the most common AS topics. PharmD programmes employing a faculty member who specializes in AS were more likely to offer AS experiential education than programmes without AS faculty (88.1% versus 71.9%, P = 0.049).

Conclusions

Integration of AS education in US PharmD curricula is variable and there are considerable differences in the AS activities and topics delivered. PharmD programmes should attempt to expose students to AS education to prepare future pharmacists for AS practice. Efforts should be made to incorporate interprofessional collaboration into AS education.

Redesigning a Pharmacology Course to Promote Active Learning

Objective. To incorporate active-learning sessions into a lecture-based pharmacology course, assess the impact on student learning and attitudes, and address commonly perceived barriers to implementing active learning. Methods. Prior to the redesign, the course met twice a week for 75 minutes. As part of the redesign, the two weekly lecture sessions were reduced to 50 minutes each. Additionally, students were assigned to one of three sections that met separately once a week for a 50-minute recitation session in which they applied course concepts to cases, problems, and situations. Data from the two years before the redesign and two years after it were assessed. Results. Students' average course grade increased 2.5% after the redesign. Average ratings of the course and instructor on student evaluations each increased significantly (around 0.3 points on a 5-point scale). Conclusion. Student knowledge and performance in a pharmacology course increased when a portion of the time previously devoted to lecture was replaced with an active-learning session. This experience can serve as a blueprint for how to convert a lecture-only course into a hybrid lecture and recitation model.

The trilayer approach of teaching physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology concepts in a first-year pharmacy course: the TLAT model

This paper describes the development, implementation, and students' perceptions of a new trilayer approach of teaching (TLAT). The TLAT model involved blending lecture, in-class group activities, and out-of-class assignments on selected content areas and was implemented initially in a first-year integrated pharmacy course. Course contents were either delivered by traditional lectures or by the TLAT. A survey instrument was distributed by SurveyMonkey to determine students' perceptions of the TLAT model. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Students' performance in a total of 225 examination and quiz questions was analyzed to evaluate whether the TLAT model improved students' learning. Students' (n = 98) performance scores for TLAT-based and lecture-based questions were 83.3 ± 10.2 and 79.5 ± 14.0, respectively (P < 0.05). Ninety-three percent of students believed that in-class group activities enhanced conceptual understanding of course materials, helped them take responsibility of their own learning, and enhanced their overall learning experiences. More than 80% of respondents felt that solving cases and developing concept maps helped them sharpen creative and critical thinking skills. In addition, 90% of the respondents indicated that the homework throughout the semester helped them stay up to date and focused with the progress of the course. The use of the TLAT model led to an improvement in student learning of complex concepts. Moreover, the results suggest that this model improves students' self-reliance and attitudes toward learning. Our findings should serve as an impetus for inclusion of diverse active learning strategies in pharmacy education.