Student Pharmacists’ Perceptions of the Difficulty of Topics and Preferences for Learning Tools for Incorporation in a Mobile Application for Reinforcement of the Pharmaceutical Biochemistry Course Content
Keywords:
Pharmacy Education, Student Perceptions, M-Learning, BiochemistryAbstract
There is interest in implementing new technology in the pharmacy professional curriculum. The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess the perceived level of difficulty of topics in Pharmaceutical Biochemistry in the Pharm.D programme; and (2) assess the student perceptions of what learning methods can be used to reinforce the course material. A 32 item questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale (least to most difficult) was administered to 240 professional students. Section A asked respondents to rate the level of difficulty of the topics taught in the course. Section B asked respondents to choose learning methods for reinforcing lectures. Protein structure and non-covalent bonding were rated easier while carbohydrates, glycolysis, cell signaling, RNA, DNA and biotechnology were rated as more difficult. Students chose practice quizzes for all topics. The results demonstrate that respondents perceive practice quizzes, animation, flash cards and 3D models as useful tools.
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