(251) Student Attitudes Towards Active Learning Strategies in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Objective : The objective of this study is to evaluate the differences between 1) students’ preferred teaching methods, 2) perceived effectiveness, and 3) enjoyability based on varying methods of educational delivery in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Methods: An prospective anonymous survey was conducted in the Spring of 2022 among 3 cohorts experiencing different teaching modalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic: online-only, online + in-person, and in-person only. Likert Scale-based questions assessed student attitudes toward teaching methods in terms of perceived effectiveness and enjoyability. The survey questions were coded on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating 'strongly disagree' and 5 indicating 'strongly agree'. Each question's score was reported as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). Effectiveness and enjoyability of different teaching methods were compared across different cohorts. IRB approval was obtained prior to initiating the study.

Results: Cohorts exhibited distinct preferences. Online-only students favored lab experiences (Mean: 4.2, SD:0.8 ) and IPPE/APPE (Mean: 4.1, SD: 0.7). Online + in-person students rated IPPE/APPE (Mean: 4.2 , SD: 0.9) and patient simulation (Mean: 4.0, SD: 0.8 ) highly, but web-based learning was less favored (Mean: 3.4, SD: 1.4). In-person students highly valued IPPE/APPE (Mean: 4.3, SD: 0.7) and patient simulations (Mean: 4.1, SD: 0.8). Large group discussions were consistently rated least effective and enjoyable amongst the three cohorts.

Conclusions: Students' educational preferences likely align with the mode of instruction to which they are initially exposed. Students prefer a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum that prioritizes practical, hands-on experiences such as experiential learning, as well as one that promotes student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.