RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To assess the differences in learning outcomes of first-year (P1) pharmacy students enrolled in a course based on service learning with those of a comparable group of students not enrolled in a course involving service learning. DESIGN: Students on 2 campuses of a school of pharmacy completed a required P1 course involving service learning. A control group of students at a different school completed typical P1 courses, none of which involved service learning. ASSESSMENT: A questionnaire was administered to P1 students in the study group at the conclusion of the service-learning course, and a similar questionnaire was administered to P1 students in the control group in the spring of their P1 year. Survey questions inquired about what the students had learned generally and in the areas identified as common to the 2 groups of respondents. Differences in the learning outcomes of the students were identified, most notably in the areas of professional communication, cultural competence, the elderly, and awareness of service-providing agencies in the community. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that service-learning positively impacts pharmacy students' learning outcomes.
Assuntos
Currículo , Educação em Farmácia/métodos , Assistência Farmacêutica/organização & administração , Estudantes de Farmácia , Adulto , Comunicação , Competência Cultural/educação , Avaliação Educacional , Feminino , Humanos , Aprendizagem , Masculino , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To describe the design of a required service-learning course offered to first- year (P1) pharmacy students, and to assess student learning and the relevance of this learning in the pharmacy curriculum. DESIGN: A 14-week service-learning course was designed and community organizations were recruited to participate. All first-year students enrolled in the School completed the course. A post-course survey was administered to the students, inquiring about what they had learned from the course; supervisors at the students' service sites also completed a short survey. ASSESSMENT: The course and the student survey instrument were completed by 195 students, and of these 190 gave permission for the information they provided to be used in the study. Notable learning outcomes were identified, especially in the areas of communication and the social and behavioral aspects of pharmacy. CONCLUSION: The survey administered at the conclusion of the course described in this article demonstrated that students in the course had achieved the desired learning outcomes. This shows that service-learning is a pedagogy that educators can employ to effect relevant learning in the pharmacy curriculum.
