Impact of team-based learning on perceived and actual retention of over-the-counter pharmacotherapy

Abstract

BackgroundTeam-based learning is becoming more common in pharmacy education. The objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of the transition from traditional didactic lecture to team-based learning (TBL) in an over-the-counter (OTC) pharmacotherapy course regarding long- and short-term retention. MethodsA questionnaire was distributed to students enrolled in an OTC pharmacotherapy course during fall 2012 (traditional didactic lecture) and fall 2013 (TBL). The questionnaire was designed to assess student perceptions of retention and preparedness for advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations, as well as measure long-term retention through a quiz. Short-term retention was evaluated by comparing performance on course exams between the two cohorts. ResultsEmail requests were sent to 189 students (87 from the traditional cohort and 102 from the TBL cohort). The usable response rate, after exclusion of incomplete questionnaires, was 41%. Though not statistically significant, student perceptions favored TBL over traditional didactic lecture. No statistical differences were noted between cohorts for long-term retention. Mean exam scores from the traditional cohort (n = 95) were compared with those from the TBL cohort (n = 102), showing that the TBL cohort performed significantly better on all three course exams (p < 0.001). ConclusionWhile student perceptions and long-term retention did not differ significantly between cohorts, short-term retention through exam performance favored TBL over traditional didactic lecture. This result is promising, showing some benefits to teaching OTC pharmacotherapy in a team-based learning environment. A study involving larger cohorts may be able to detect a greater number of significant results.