Purpose This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of case-based learning (CBL) within a basic-clinical integrated educational program using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model.
Methods The CBL program was integrated into the Pharmacology–Clinical Case Practice component of the pharmacology course, a mandatory course for first-year medical students. To evaluate the program, a CIPP model-based questionnaire was developed, assessing needs, goals, resources, educational management, and outcomes. To ensure the reliability and validity of the variables, factor analysis was performed, reducing an initial set of 28 items to 18 final observation variables distributed across four factors. The survey, designed to measure learner satisfaction, was administered to 37 students who participated in the Pharmacology–Clinical Case Practice course during the first semester of 2022.
Results Participants rated their satisfaction with the CBL program based on the CIPP model (on a 5-point scale), giving an average score of 4.17. This suggests that learners who followed the CBL program combining basic and clinical components generally found the program operationally effective with positive outcomes.
Conclusion The teaching model and evaluation model applied in this study can be utilized in various majors when operating CBL classes that link basic and clinical education in medical schools in the future.
Purpose A pharmacology course in undergraduate medical education aims to enable students to cultivate the ability of applying drugs in the clinical context using basic scientific knowledge. Although team-based learning could be a useful approach, the literature on pharmacology education using team-based learning is limited. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a pharmacology course using team-based learning.
Methods We developed an “integrated clinical pharmacology” course for first-year medical students. All 49 students enrolled in the course. Individual and group scores were recorded for each session, and a post-course survey was conducted after the course. We compared the performance of the current class to that of a previous class based on scores in a nationwide test conducted at the end of every year.
Results The reactions of the students were generally positive, with the exception of their perception of the preparatory burdens for the individual test. Throughout the team-based learning sessions, the achievement at the group level was significantly higher than at the individual level. In the nationwide test, however, when we divided students into high and low achiever groups, only the low achievers demonstrated significant improvement compared to the cohort from the previous year.
Conclusion The study demonstrates that team-based learning could be an effective way of teaching pharmacology to medical students in the preclinical stage. Although most of the students were actively engaged regardless of their preparedness, low-achieving students in particular seemed to gain more benefits than high achievers regarding the acquisition of knowledge.
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