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. 2010 Jun 15;74(5):88.
doi: 10.5688/aj740588.

A blended learning approach to teaching basic pharmacokinetics and the significance of face-to-face interaction

Andrea Edginton  1 , Jane Holbrook
Affiliations

A blended learning approach to teaching basic pharmacokinetics and the significance of face-to-face interaction

Andrea Edginton et al. Am J Pharm Educ. .

Abstract

Objective: To assess pharmacy students' attitudes towards a blended-learning pharmacokinetics course.

Design: Narrated visual presentations and animations that illustrated kinetic processes and guided students through the use of software programs used for calculations were created. Other learning techniques used included online self-assessment quizzes, practice problem sets, and weekly face-to-face problem-solving tutorials.

Assessment: A precourse questionnaire to assess students' level of enthusiasm towards the blended-learning course and to solicit any concerns they had was administered at the beginning of the course. A postcourse questionnaire that included the same 4 Likert-scale items from the precourse questionnaire and follow-up open-ended questions was administered. Individual changes in level of enthusiasm were compared for individuals who completed both the precourse and postcourse questionnaire. Students' concerns about the blended method of learning had decreased postcourse while their enthusiasm for the benefits of blended learning had increased.

Conclusion: Students' initial concerns about the blended learning experience were focused on their ability to communicate with the instructor about the online components, but shifted to their own time management skills at the end of the course. Face-to-face interactions with each other and with the instructor were more highly rated than online interactions in this course.

Keywords: blended learning; interaction; pharmacokinetics; social presence; student questionnaire.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Paired responses from the precourse (time 1) and postcourse (time 2) questionnaire regarding the level of enthusiasm for learning in a blended course environment, n=28.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Paired responses from the precourse (time 1) and postcourse (time 2) questionnaire regarding students' level of enthusiasm for interacting with course learning modules online, n=28.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Paired responses from the precourse (time 1) and postcourse (time 2) questionnaire regarding the level of enthusiasm for interacting with the instructor online through e-mail and discussion forums, n=28.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Paired responses from the precourse (time 1) and postcourse (time 2) questionnaire regarding the level of enthusiasm for interacting with the instructor in face-to-face problem solving sessions, n=28.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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