Test-enhanced learning in a pharmacy therapeutics course
Keywords:
Test-Enhanced Learning, Pharmacy Education, Time Management, Perceived StressAbstract
Objective: To confirm the effect of test-enhanced learning in pharmacy students and to assess students’ perceptions of additional graded tests in a therapeutics course.
Methods: The number of graded tests were increased from two to four in a pharmacy therapeutics course during 2017. The authors compared the median score change from the first to the last test between the 2016 and 2017 student cohorts. The 2017 cohort was surveyed to determine student perceptions of additional graded tests.
Results: The median test score increased significantly from the first to the last test in the 2017 cohort (84.0% vs 76.9%; p<0.0001), but not in the 2016 cohort (76.7% vs 76.3%; p=0.95). Students reported improved time management skills and reduced levels of stress and test anxiety with a greater number of tests.
Conclusions: Increasing the number of graded tests from two to four in a pharmacy therapeutics course may enhance academic performance, improve time management skills, and reduce stress and test anxiety.
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