Pharmacy Students' Attitudes Toward Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacokinetics Lectures via Interactive Videoconferencing
Marie A. ChisholmHenry H. Cobb III
William E. Wade
Gary Lautenschlager
Charles Y. McCall
pages: 21 - 32
- DOI: 10.1300/J060v08n01_03
- Version of record first published: 09Aug2000
Abstract:
The purpose of this manuscript is to: (1) compare students' attitudes toward interactive videoconferencing in two courses (therapeutics and clinical pharmacokinetics) and (2) determine whether duration of time or the type of course significantly affected students' attitudes toward interactive videoconferencing lectures. In fall 1995, a 6-item pretested survey was administered to 40 (100% of the class) third-year professional Pharm.D. students in the Advanced Therapeutics course and the Clinical Pharmacokinetics course at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. The survey was given to the students two weeks after each course began (one-fifth of the way through the course) and six weeks later to reassess students' attitudes toward interactive videoconferencing lectures in these two courses. The students were asked to respond to each of the six items by using a five-point Likert response scale. Descriptive analysis for items on the survey was performed. Two-way analysis of variance using the general linear model procedure was used to determine whether the course type, duration of time, or interaction term of the two factors (course and time) significantly affected students' attitudes toward interactive videoconferencing lectures. Results indicated that: (1) duration of time (six weeks) between the first and second survey administration had a significant effect on students' attitudes toward the quality of the audio system and students' preference for “live” lectures rather than interactive videoconferencing lectures ( p < 0.01) and (2) the course (favoring therapeutics) was a significant factor in regard to students' attitudes toward enjoying lectures via interactive videoconferencing, students wanting to have more lectures via interactive videoconferencing, students preferring “live” lectures rather than interactive videoconferencing lectures, and the students' perception of the effectiveness of the interactive videoconferencing lectures ( p < 0.01). Useful “teaching pearls” for pharmacy educators using interactive videoconferencing are discussed.