The Effect of Active Learning Methodologies on the Teaching of Pharmaceutical Care in a Brazilian Pharmacy Faculty

BackgroundIn recent years, pharmacists have been involved in expanded patient care responsibilities, for example patient counseling in self-medication, medication review and pharmaceutical care, which require graduates to develop the necessary competences. Consequently, reorientation of pharmacy education has become necessary. As such, active learning strategies have been introduced into classrooms to increase problem-solving and critical thinking skills of students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and perceptions of competency of students in a new pharmaceutical care course that uses active learning methodologies.MethodsThis pharmaceutical care course was conducted in the first semester of 2014, in the Federal University of Sergipe. In the pharmaceutical care course, active learning methods were used, consisting of dialogic classroom expository, simulation and case studies. Student learning was evaluated using classroom tests and instruments that evaluated the perception of competency in pharmaceutical care practice. Furthermore, students'' satisfaction with the course was evaluated.ResultsThirty-three students completed the four evaluations used in the course (i.e., a discursive written exam, seminars, OSCE, and virtual patient); 25 were female (75.75%), and the median age was 23.43 (SD 2.82) years. The overall mean of student scores, in all evaluation methods was 7.97 (SD 0.59) on a scale of 0 to 10 points, and student performance on the virtual patient method was statistically superior to other methods. With respect to the perception of competency in pharmaceutical care practice, a comparison of pre- and post-test scores revealed statistically significant improvement for all evaluated competences. At the end of the semester, the students presented positive opinions of the pharmaceutical care course.ConclusionsThe results suggest that an active learning course can enhance the learning of pharmaceutical care competences. In future studies it will be necessary to compare active learning to traditional methods.     

Effects of botanical gardens on student environmental perception

This paper examines the role of the classroom environment in promoting student well-being and, more specifically, a sense of responsibility towards nature in the city. The study analyzed how indoor vs outdoor educational environments affect students' perception of events and phenomena focusing on emotional, behavioral and cognitive processes. It was conducted in the Kayakyolu Secondary School, Erzurum, Turkey with 282 students ranging in age from 11 to 14 in grades 5–8. They participated in reading a story in two distinct environments: an enclosed indoor classroom and an outdoor botanical garden. Significant differences in the emotional, behavioral and cognitive approaches of the students in these two environments were obtained at p < .05. All three approaches (emotional behavioral and cognitive) in the botanical garden environment produced higher positive values than those of the classroom environment. The rate of negative emotions of the students in the botanical garden was 23.3% and increased to 40.1% in a closed classroom environment. It was clearly observed that the environmental awareness and sensitivity of the students educated in botanical garden was absolutely higher than those of an indoor environment. The responses indicating behaviors of not adversely interfering with natural processes and indicating the value of living in harmony with nature increased in the botanical garden. The findings of this research demonstrate that environmental education conducted in a natural environment is more effective as compared to the education given in the classroom setting. The study supports the proposition that future generations educated in natural surroundings will be better able to make more accurate, creative, and resilient decisions for the environment.     

Sandbox University: Estimating Influence of Institutional Action

The approach presented in this article represents a generalizable and adaptable methodology for identifying complex interactions in educational systems and for investigating how manipulation of these systems may affect educational outcomes of interest. Multilayer Minimum Spanning Tree and Monte-Carlo methods are used. A virtual Sandbox University is created in order to facilitate effective identification of successful and stable initiatives within higher education, which can affect students'' credits and student retention – something that has been lacking up until now. The results highlight the importance of teacher feedback and teacher-student rapport, which is congruent with current educational findings, illustrating the methodology''s potential to provide a new basis for further empirical studies of issues in higher education from a complex systems perspective.     

Evidence That Personal Genome Testing Enhances Student Learning in a Course on Genomics and Personalized Medicine

An emerging debate in academic medical centers is not about the need for providing trainees with fundamental education on genomics, but rather the most effective educational models that should be deployed. At Stanford School of Medicine, a novel hands-on genomics course was developed in 2010 that provided students the option to undergo personal genome testing as part of the course curriculum. We hypothesized that use of personal genome testing in the classroom would enhance the learning experience of students. No data currently exist on how such methods impact student learning; thus, we surveyed students before and after the course to determine its impact. We analyzed responses using paired statistics from the 31 medical and graduate students who completed both pre-course and post-course surveys. Participants were stratified by those who did (N = 23) or did not (N = 8) undergo personal genome testing. In reflecting on the experience, 83% of students who underwent testing stated that they were pleased with their decision compared to 12.5% of students who decided against testing (P = 0.00058). Seventy percent of those who underwent personal genome testing self-reported a better understanding of human genetics on the basis of having undergone testing. Further, students who underwent personal genome testing demonstrated an average 31% increase in pre- to post-course scores on knowledge questions (P = 3.5×10⁻⁶); this was significantly higher (P = 0.003) than students who did not undergo testing, who showed a non-significant improvement. Undergoing personal genome testing and using personal genotype data in the classroom enhanced students'' self-reported and assessed knowledge of genomics, and did not appear to cause significant anxiety. At least for self-selected students, the incorporation of personal genome testing can be an effective educational tool to teach important concepts of clinical genomic testing.     

“发酵工程原理与技术”混合式教学研究与实践：以“抗生素发酵生产工艺与工程实践”内容为例

“发酵工程原理与技术”是理工科高校生物专业的核心课程之一,具有较强的应用性和实践性。然而目前以线下教学为主的传统教学方式不利于学生对知识的理解和掌握。同时,该课程实验教学环节存在发酵设备更新不及时、缺乏大型工艺设备、易受场地限制等问题,严重影响实践教学效果。线上线下相结合的混合式教学模式是丰富教学资源和提升教学质量的重要手段。我们以“抗生素发酵生产工艺与工程实践”内容为例,基于虚拟仿真平台设计并构建虚拟仿真实验项目,同时结合课堂教学和实验室教学等线下教学方式,形成线上线下高度融合的混合式教学新模式。混合式教学强化了课堂教学与在线教学、虚拟实验与实体实验的有机结合,促进了学生扎实掌握理论知识和实验技能,培养了学生的创新精神和实践能力,提高了学生的综合素质。     

“新工科”背景下“生物分离工程”课程创新改革

“生物分离工程”是生物工程专业本科生的一门重要的专业必修课,是生物工程专业建立“新工科”课程体系的重要组成部分。本教学团队坚持“以学生发展为中心,以创新思维为核心”的教育理念,以“学习成果”为导向的创新理念,针对课程长期存在的“理论教学与实验课脱节,学生不能及时地将理论知识内化为实践能力”、“课程内容陈旧,与行业需求脱节”、“授课和考核方式相对单一,学生的专业能力和素质未能有效培养”等痛点问题开展教学改革,重构课程内容。打通理论课和实验课的界限,开展“线上+线下”混合教学,通过科研反哺教学,使课程内容紧跟行业发展前沿,充分利用现代信息技术手段开展更丰富的课堂教学活动,并对学生进行全程化、动态化和多样化的考核,全面提升学生的能力。     

Student engagement in direct instruction,undergraduate microbiology laboratories

Introductory laboratory courses are a standard component of undergraduate science programmes and historically taught using direct instruction/confirmatory lab models. Previous studies have shown that inquiry-based labs enhance student engagement in science courses. However, research on how direct instruction introductory lab courses effectively engage undergraduate students is lacking. This study, therefore, using a mixed model design, examined student engagement in an introductory direct instruction microbiology lab. Data was collected through self-report surveys, classroom observations, and interviews at a Midwestern, post-secondary institution in the USA. The findings suggest that students found the lab activities engaging. This study provides baseline data which describes student engagement and student perspectives in a direct instruction undergraduate microbiology lab course. This baseline data can be used in further research against which comparisons can be made when studying other types of lab teaching interventions.     

疫情常态化下“发酵工程”线上线下混合式教学模式的改革与探索

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情防控常态化下,线上线下混合式教学成为了许多高校课程采用的新型教学模式。本课程团队以学生为中心,结合传统教学法（Lecture-Based Learning,LBL）和慕课教学的优点,重新构建了“发酵工程”课程的教学过程,对课程的教学目标、教学要求、教学章节、教学考核、教学方法等进行了一系列的改革探索,并尝试了线上翻转课堂和课程思政融入课堂的教学模式,学生自主学习的积极性得以提高,促进、提升了课程的教与学效果。     

Effectiveness of IV cannulation skills laboratory training and its transfer into clinical practice: a randomized, controlled trial

Background

The effectiveness of skills laboratory training is widely recognized. Yet, the transfer of procedural skills acquired in skills laboratories into clinical practice has rarely been investigated. We conducted a prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial to evaluate, if students having trained intravenous (IV) cannulation in a skills laboratory are rated as more professional regarding technical and communication skills compared to students who underwent bedside teaching when assessed objectively by independent video assessors and subjectively by patients.

Methodology and Principal Findings

84 volunteer first-year medical students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Three drop-outs occurred. The intervention group (IG; n = 41) trained IV cannulation in a skills laboratory receiving instruction after Peyton''s ‘Four-Step Approach’. The control group (CG; n = 40) received a bedside teaching session with volunteer students acting as patients. Afterwards, performance of IV cannulation of both groups in a clinical setting with students acting as patients was video-recorded. Two independent, blinded video assessors scored students'' performance using binary checklists (BC) and the Integrated Procedural Protocol Instrument (IPPI). Patients assessed students'' performance with the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) and a modified IPPI. IG required significantly shorter time needed for the performance on a patient (IG: 595.4 SD(188.1)s; CG: 692.7 SD(247.8)s; 95%CI 23.5 s to 45.1 s; p = 0.049) and completed significantly more single steps of the procedure correctly (IG: 64% SD(14) for BC items; CG: 53% SD(18); 95%CI 10.25% to 11.75%; p = 0.004). IG also scored significantly better on IPPI ratings (median: IG: 3.1; CG: 3.6; p = 0.015;). Rated by patients, students'' performance and patient-physician communication did not significantly differ between groups.

Conclusions

Transfer of IV cannulation-related skills acquired in a skills laboratory is superior to bedside teaching when rated by independent video raters by means of IPPI and BC. It enables students to perform IV cannulation more professionally on volunteer students acting as patients.     

Perception of residential crowding,classroom experiences,and student health

The present research is based on a typology of crowding experiences incorporating two main dimensions: neutral-personal thwartings and primary-secondary environments. The thwarting dimension concerns the degree to which crowding experiences are associated with spatial inconveniences, alone, or with spatial as well as social constraints. The environmental dimension relates to the type of setting in which crowding experiences occur. A major assumption of this typology is that crowding experiences involving social conflict will be more intense and disruptive to the individual than those in which interpersonal conflict is minimal. The reported study examined the relationship between college students' evaluations of the physical amenity, social climate, and crowdedness of their residential environments, on the one hand, and their sensitivity to crowding in a classroom situation, their academic performance, and the frequency of their visits to the campus health center, on the other. Results indicated that perceived residential crowding and negative perceptions of residential social climate were strongly associated with increased sensitivity to crowding in a classroom situation, impaired course performance, and visits to the student health center. The implications of these correlational findings for future field-experimental research are discussed.     

Teaching Elsewhere: Anthropological Pedagogy,Racism and Indifference in a Hong Kong Classroom

This essay is concerned with the political, historical and cultural contexts of teaching and learning in Hong Kong, focusing on my recent experiences of tertiary teaching there. Although an emphasis on rote learning driven by an exam oriented educational trajectory is now widely criticised, strong institutional and social forces still operate to produce a student body highly resistant to radicalising discourses. I argue that cultural indifference, chauvinism and racism pervade the classroom, posing particular challenges for anthropological pedagogy.     

微生物学实验技术课程“五阶段”翻转课堂教学模式的探索与实践

依据研究型实验教学的特点及混合式教学的相关理论,探索将“五阶段”翻转课堂教学模式应用于高校实验教学,并以微生物学实验技术课程为例,重点论述该“五阶段”翻转课堂教学模式的设计思路,即学生课前进行自主学习及实验设计,课堂上以学生为主体进行讨论,之后进行开放式实验实施,最后以课堂展示及课后总结的形式进行实验反思。进一步分析该模式的实施效果,探讨其优势及不足,为翻转课堂教学模式在实践类课程中的应用提供借鉴,以期更好地达成培养学生科研思维及创新能力的目标。     

“趣味教学法”在微生物学课堂中的应用及探讨

微生物学属于生命科学的重要分支,是生物、食品科学、临床医学等大学专业一门重要的基础课。该课程综合性强、知识涉及面广,所以如何有效调动学生的学习兴趣将直接影响课堂效果。为达到良好的教学效果,教师可在微生物学教学过程中综合运用多种方式提高学生学习兴趣与学习质量。因此,我们采用“趣味教学法”进行教学设计,并针对连续3个不同年级的相同专业班级做出教学改革,通过学生期末闭卷成绩、过程考核（签到率、课堂参与度、注意力集中程度等）成绩与学生反馈评语对教学成果进行验证。结果表明,采用“趣味教学法”进行教学改革的班级学生期末闭卷成绩中不及格率低于未改革的班级,“良好”与“优秀”学生比例均高于未改革的班级,过程考核成绩远高于未改革的班级,说明“趣味教学法”教学改革有效调动了学生的学习兴趣。我们认为,在大学微生物学课堂上,教师可在教学设计中适当引入趣味教学内容并适时展开,有助于改善教学气氛,调动学生学习积极性与主动性,提高教学质量。     

Student exam performance in flipped classroom sections is similar to that in active learning sections,and satisfaction with the flipped classroom hinges on attitudes toward learning from videos

ABSTRACT

The flipped classroom is a teaching innovation in which instructional content is delivered out of the classroom, often via videos, and the class period is used for application of the course material. While the popularity of the flipped classroom is growing exponentially, its benefits have not been extensively studied. In this study we compared three semesters of an undergraduate Genetics course that was non-flipped, but included a significant amount of active learning, to three semesters of a flipped course with the same content. Student exam performance was not statistically different between the active non-flipped and the flipped courses, suggesting that the benefits of the flipped environment may be similar to those achieved via active learning. We also examined student attitudes toward the flipped classroom, and found 56% of students were satisfied, 39% were dissatisfied, and 5% were neutral toward the flipped classroom. Our survey revealed that the clearest defining characteristic of dissatisfied students was not a dislike of classroom active learning activities. Rather, dissatisfied students disproportionately disliked, and had difficulty learning the course material, from videos.     

以精品课程建设为契机努力提高《神经病学》教学质量

目的:精品课程建设是一个系统工程,是高等学校教学质量和教学改革的重要部分,其关键在于体现现代化教育思想,改革教学模式,形成有特色的教学方法,激发学生自主学习的兴趣,提高教学效果。本文结合精品课程建设,探讨神经病学的教学改革,加强师资队伍建设,建立科学的教学内容体系,改革教学手段和教学方法,加强教材建设,优化教研室的常规管理,努力提高神经病学教学质量。     

Human clay models versus cat dissection: how the similarity between the classroom and the exam affects student performance

This study examined the effect of different anatomic representations on student learning in a human anatomy class studying the muscular system. Specifically, we examined the efficacy of using dissected cats (with and without handouts) compared with clay sculpting of human structures. Ten undergraduate laboratory sections were assigned to three treatment groups: cat dissection only, cat dissection with handouts, and human clay sculpting with handouts. Exams included higher-order questions that presented novel anatomic images and scenarios that the students did not practice in class. The higher-order anatomy exam questions varied the degree to which students in the different treatments had to transform the anatomic representation studied during laboratory activities to match the representation used in the exam questions. In this respect, exam questions manipulated the similarity between the surface features of the anatomic representations used in the classroom versus the exam. When identifying anatomic structures presented in a photograph or diagram, student performance improved significantly when transformation demands decreased, i.e., students in the human clay sculpting treatment group performed best on human anatomy questions and students in the cat dissection treatment group performed better on cat anatomy questions (independent of the use of handouts). There were similar, but nonsignificant, trends when students were asked functional anatomy questions presented in human and cat contexts. On survey questions designed to measure student attitudes about dissection versus nonanimal alternatives, students typically preferred the method used in their treatment group, suggesting that student preference is too fluid to factor into curricular decisions. When designing curricula, instructors must choose anatomic representations that support their course goals. Human representations are most effective when teaching the human muscular system.     

情景模拟在“医学微生物学”翻转课堂教学中的应用

翻转课堂是实现以学生为中心、提升学生自主学习能力的重要教学方法。随着线上课程的开展和学习平台技术的成熟,学生已能在课前获得足够的资源。然而,习惯于灌输式教育的学生仍缺乏自主学习的动力和方法。为此,我们教研团队尝试采用情景模拟的课堂活动设计来突破翻转环节实施的难点。研究发现,参考临床案例撰写剧本的过程能有效提升学生的自学兴趣和能力。学生课前在线预习时长和章节访问次数,以及参考资料阅读率和小组讨论时长均显著增加。课堂上,学生将课前所学知识在模拟实践中进行练习,促进了师生互动,帮助学生加深对知识的理解,提升学习成绩和满意度,同时也培养了学生的团队合作精神,建立临床思维,提升职业兴趣和能力。因此,情景模拟的融入实现了翻转课堂教学中“课前学”和“课上习”的教学闭环,为进一步推进翻转课堂的开展提供参考。