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.
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.
Keywords:
active learning; drug assay; internet; virtual laboratory; web-based instruction