Evaluating the Impact of Blended Learning in Clinical Pharmacology Among Medical and Allied Health Undergraduates: A Cross-Sectional Study
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a blended learning model in teaching clinical pharmacology to undergraduate healthcare students, including those from medical and allied health disciplines. The study assessed the model’s impact on their career development and examined its effects on academic performance, knowledge retention, practical application of pharmacological concepts, career aspirations, and clinical practice readiness.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 10 to May 20, 2024, in China. Undergraduate healthcare students who completed a clinical pharmacology course via blended learning participated. Data were collected using an online questionnaire through “Questionnaire Star”. Out of 513 collected questionnaires, 330 valid responses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics and Python for descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and cluster analyses.
Results: The blended learning model significantly enhanced student engagement and knowledge acquisition. The Flipped Classroom was the most frequently used method (average frequency 0.75), followed by Face-to-Face Teaching (0.71) and Online MOOC Learning (0.68). Both male and female students reported similar knowledge impact (4.08±0.93 for males, 4.00±0.90 for females). Clinical Medicine students reported the highest satisfaction (4.44±0.66). Regression analysis identified Online MOOC Learning (0.260) and Face-to-Face Teaching (0.201) as significant predictors of knowledge acquisition. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct student groups with varying satisfaction and perceived effectiveness.
Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a blended learning model in teaching clinical pharmacology to undergraduate healthcare students, including those from medical and allied health disciplines. The study assessed the model’s impact on their career development and examined its effects on academic performance, knowledge retention, practical application of pharmacological concepts, career aspirations, and clinical practice readiness.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 10 to May 20, 2024, in China. Undergraduate healthcare students who completed a clinical pharmacology course via blended learning participated. Data were collected using an online questionnaire through “Questionnaire Star”. Out of 513 collected questionnaires, 330 valid responses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics and Python for descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and cluster analyses.
Results: The blended learning model significantly enhanced student engagement and knowledge acquisition. The Flipped Classroom was the most frequently used method (average frequency 0.75), followed by Face-to-Face Teaching (0.71) and Online MOOC Learning (0.68). Both male and female students reported similar knowledge impact (4.08±0.93 for males, 4.00±0.90 for females). Clinical Medicine students reported the highest satisfaction (4.44±0.66). Regression analysis identified Online MOOC Learning (0.260) and Face-to-Face Teaching (0.201) as significant predictors of knowledge acquisition. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct student groups with varying satisfaction and perceived effectiveness.
Conclusion: The blended learning model effectively enhances academic performance, knowledge retention, and professional skills among undergraduate medical and allied health students. A balanced integration of online and offline components maximizes learning outcomes. Tailored approaches are needed for different disciplines. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact on career development.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Upon acceptance of an article, the Pharmacological and Therapeutic Society of Thailand will have exclusive right to publish and distribute the article in all forms and media and grant rights to others. Authors have rights to use and share their own published articles.
References
Chen C, Jones K. The role of blended learning in medical education: a review. Med Educ. 2020;54(5):430-439. Available from: doi:10.1111/medu.14052
Ahmed H, Allaf M, Elghazaly H. Integrating e-learning in medical education: current trends and challenges. Med Teach. 2018;40(7):690-696. Available from: doi:10.1080/0142159X.2018.14 64656
Ruiz JG, Mintzer MJ, Leipzig RM. The impact of e-learning in medical education. Acad Med. 2006;81(3):207-212. Available from: doi:10. 1097/00001888-200603000-00002
Regmi K, Jones L. A systematic review of the factors - enablers and barriers - affecting e-learning in health sciences education. BMC Med Educ. 2020;20:91. Available from: doi:10.1186/s 12909-020-02007-6
Juhi S, Banu S, Malik S. Evaluation of blended learning method versus traditional learning method of clinical examination skills in physiology among undergraduate medical students in an Indian Medical College. Cureus. 2023;15(4): e37886. Available from: doi:10.77 59/cureus.37886
Rosenbaum PEL, Cage J, Fraser K, Gillis R. A blended learning course design in clinical pharmacology for post-graduate dental students. Open Dent J. 2012;6:182-187. Available from: doi:10.2174/1874210601 206010182
Fang H. Exploration of online and offline mixed teaching methods for clinical pharmacology under the new situation. Educ Teach Forum. 2023;32:146-149.
Morton CE, Clark D, Rajaratnam V. Blended learning: how can we optimise undergraduate student engagement? BMC Med Educ. 2016;16:195. Available from: doi:10.1186/s1290 9-016-0716-z
Feng SQ. Teaching reform of the blended teaching mode of clinical pharmacology based on “OBE Concept + Rain Class”. J Higher Med Educ. 2023;13(3):32-36.
Betihavas V, Bridgman H, Kornhaber R, Cross M. The evidence for ‘flipping out’: a systematic review of the flipped classroom in nursing education. Nurse Educ Today. 2016;38:15-21.
O'Flaherty J, Phillips C. The use of flipped classrooms in higher education: a scoping review. Internet High Educ. 2015;25:85-95.
Tang F, Chen C, Zhu Y, et al. Comparison between flipped classroom and lecture-based classroom in ophthalmology clerkship. Med Educ Online. 2017;22(1): 1395679.
Liu Q, Peng W, Zhang F, Hu R, Li Y, Yan W. The effectiveness of blended learning in health professions: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2016; 18(1):e2. Available from: doi:10.2196/ jmir.4807
George PP, Papachristou N, Belisario JM, Wang W, Wark PA, Cotic Z, et al. Online eLearning for undergraduates in health professions: a systematic review of the impact on knowledge, skills, attitudes, and satisfaction. J Glob Health. 2014; 4(1): 010406.
Pimmer C, Mateescu M, Gröhbiel U. Mobile and ubiquitous learning in higher education settings. A systematic review of empirical studies. Comput Human Behav. 2016;63:490-501.
Garrison DR, Vaughan ND. Blended learning in higher education: framework, principles, and guidelines. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2008.
Albalawi AS. The effect of blended learning on student performance in a Saudi university: a pilot study. Educ Res Int. 2018;2018:1-7.
Bernard RM, Borokhovski E, Schmid RF, Tamim RM, Abrami PC. A meta-analysis of blended learning and technology use in higher education: from the general to the applied. J Comput High Educ. 2014;26(1): 87-122.
Boelens R, De Wever B, Voet M. Four key challenges to the design of blended learning: a systematic literature review. Educ Res Rev. 2017;22:1-18.
Cook DA, Triola MM. What is the role of e-learning? Looking past the hype. Med Educ. 2014;48(9):930-937.
Means B, Toyama Y, Murphy R, Bakia M, Jones K. Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: a meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. US Department of Education; 2010.
Lim DH, Morris ML. Learner and instructional factors influencing learning outcomes within a blended learning environment. Educ Technol Soc. 2009; 12(4):282-93.
Cheng G, Chau J. Exploring the relationships between learning styles, online participation, learning achievement, and course satisfaction: an empirical study of a blended learning course. Br J Educ Technol. 2016;47(2):257-278.
Sitzmann T, Ely K, Bell BS, Bauer KN. The effects of technical difficulties on learning and attrition during online training. J Exp Psychol Appl. 2010;16(3):281-292.
Serrano D, de la Roca-Chiapas JM, Lara MR. Blended learning enriching higher education: theory, research, and practice. Adv Educ Res. 2019;2(2):123-134.
Pereira JA, Pleguezuelos E, Merí A, et al. Effectiveness of using blended learning strategies for teaching and learning human anatomy. Med Educ. 2007;41(2):189-195.
Hameed S, Badii A, Cullen AJ. Effective e-learning integration with traditional learning in a blended learning environment. Eur Mediterr Conf Inf Syst. 2008;25:1-16.
Garrison DR, Kanuka H. Blended learning: uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. Internet High Educ. 2004;7(2):95-105.