Objective. To evaluate the implementation of an integrated medicinal chemistry/pharmacology course sequence and its alignment with a therapeutics series. Design. Each topic was divided into modules consisting of 2-hour blocks, and the content was integrated and aligned with the therapeutics series. Recitation sessions emphasizing application skills in an interactive environment followed each of three 2-hour blocks. To ensure that students achieved competency in each unit, students failing any unit examination were encouraged to undergo remediation. Assessment. Student feedback was collected by an independent researcher through social media and focus groups and relayed anonymously to course directors for midcourse improvements. Responses from surveys, interviews, and student ratings of faculty members and of courses were used to implement changes for future editions of the courses. Conclusion. The majority of students and faculty members felt the integration and alignment processes were beneficial changes to the curriculum. Elements of the new sequence, including remediation, were viewed positively by students and faculty members as well.
Objective. To determine students' perceptions of and performance in a drug assay laboratory course after the addition of Web-based multimedia tools. Design. Video modules and other Web-based tools to deliver instructions and emulate the laboratory set up for experiments were implemented in 2005 to improve student preparation for laboratory sessions and eliminate the need for graduate students to present instructions live. Assessment. Data gathered from quizzes, final examinations, and post-course surveys administered over 6 years were analyzed. Students' scores on online quizzes after implementation of the virtual laboratories reflected improved student understanding and preparation. Students' perception of the course improved significantly after the introduction of the tools and the new teaching model. Conclusions. Implementation of an active-learning model in a laboratory course led to improvement in students' educational experience and satisfaction. Additional benefits included improved resource use, student exposure to a variety of educational methods, and having a highly structured laboratory format that reduced inconsistencies in delivered instructions.
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