METHODS: A crossover study was conducted among Year 1 and Year 2 pharmacy students. Students were invited to participate voluntarily for one OB and one CB online formative test in a chemistry module in each year. Evaluation of their learning approach and perception of the OB and CB systems of examination was conducted using Deep Information Processing (DIP) questionnaire and Student Perception questionnaire respectively. The mean performance scores of OB and CB examinations were compared.
RESULTS: Analysis of DIP scores showed that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the learning approach adopted for the two different examination systems. However, the mean score obtained in the OB examination was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those obtained in the CB examination. Preference was given by a majority of students for the OB examination, possibly because it was associated with lower anxiety levels, less requirement of memorization, and more problem solving.
CONCLUSION: There is no difference in deep learning approach of students, whether the format is of the OB or CB type examinations. However, the performance of students was significantly better in OB examination than CB. Hence, using OB examination along with CB examination will be useful for student learning and help them adapt to growing and changing knowledge in pharmacy education and practice.
METHODS: A cross-sectional data analysis of Pharmacy students' learning environment from 2011-2015 based on data from module, faculty, IMU-REEM and Student Barometer Survey was applied. Feedback obtained from the data was triangulated to establish commonalities/differences of the issues.
RESULTS: Based on the analysis, issues affecting Pharmacy student learning experiences were identified. The identified issues included teaching by subject matter experts, pedagogical delivery and physical learning environment. Seven lessons were presented for educators to assess the practicality of the feedback.
CONCLUSIONS: The feedback serves as a means to improve the Pharmacy program. Nonetheless, the challenges lie between the ideal and realistic expectations of students in optimizing the learning experiences. Lessons acquired from the evaluation of the learning environment are essential for educators in managing and using the information.