Active-learning exercises to teach drug-receptor interactions in a medicinal chemistry course.

OBJECTIVE: To incorporate structural biology, enzyme kinetics, and visualization of protein structures in a medicinal chemistry course to teach fundamental concepts of drug design and principles of drug action.
DESIGN: Pedagogy for active learning was incorporated via hands-on experience with visualization software for drug-receptor interactions and concurrent laboratory sessions. Learning methods included use of clicker technology, in-class assignments, and analogies. ASSESSMENT: Quizzes and tests that included multiple-choice and open-ended items based on Bloom's taxonomy were used to assess learning. Student feedback, classroom exercises, and tests were used to assess teaching methods and effectiveness in meeting learning outcomes.
CONCLUSION: The addition of active-learning activities increased students' understanding of fundamental medicinal chemistry concepts such as ionization state of molecules, enzyme kinetics, and the significance of protein structure in drug design.