Increased Active Learning Methods Enhance Complex Topic Performance and Integration in a Healthcare Pharmacology Course

Abstract ID 99369 Poster Board 421 Introduction: Curriculum reform at medical and pharmacy schools has encouraged a movement away from passive faculty-directed pharmacology lectures to evidence-based active learning methods or collaborative processes to promote pharmacology retention. However, other healthcare programs have been slower to embrace integrated active learning processes; such programs often have limited curricular time allotments for pharmacology with faculty opting for lecturing as a time efficient method to cover extensive content. Modifications were made in a Temple School of Podiatry traditional pharmacology course that involved replacing 14 hours of lecture with case-based consolidation exercises and active learning games. The purpose of this abstract is to share the processes, outcomes, and impacts of transiting to a more active pharmacology educational approach. Methods: Course performance and curriculum integration were evaluated retrospectively after significant modifications to increase collaborative and active learning processes. Deidentified mean block exam scores were compared from a previous cohort experiencing the traditional pharmacology course (TPC) with a cohort experiencing the modified pharmacology course (MPC). Retrospective session analysis examined the number of pharmacology topics that were integrated into lecture vs active learning sessions. Results: Mean scores were used in statistical comparisons. While the MPC cohort had higher overall exam performance on each block (84.4±2) then the TPC cohort (81.6±3), differences were not significant. For items tagged to cardiovascular pharmacology, MPC performed significantly better than the TPC cohort (MCP:88±9 vs TCP:73±11, p<0.001 by t-test). Pharmacology consolidation cases integrated, on average, 5 pharmacology conceptual areas; games integrated 10 conceptual areas; lectures typically focused on 1-2 conceptual areas. Conclusions: Replacing 14-hours of lecture with active learning was effective in promoting pharmacology learning. Overall performance trended towards improvement despite 14-hours of lecture being removed; Significant performance improvement was evident for complex cardiovascular pharmacology topics, supporting that active learning methods are essential to promoting conceptual understanding of more complex materials. Converting to more active processes also enhanced longitudinal integration of several pharmacology topics within each of the consolidation sessions which supports curricular efficiency and promotes better understanding of interrelationship relevant to clinical practice. Thus, the data show that active learning processes can be effective and time efficient ways to implement pharmacology education across many healthcare fields.