Effective Use of a Range of Authentic Assessments in a Web Assisted Pharmacology Course

Building upon previous research on teaching science at the college level, an Introductory Pharmacology course was designed in a problem-based learning environment, using cooperative learning pedagogies, case studies, and integrating technology into every class period. Teaching pharmacology through a case studies and problem-based approach is beneficial to understanding the societal impact of drugs, as well as grasping an understanding of the mechanisms of drug action, the parameters for dosing and the general categories of therapeutic medicines and drugs of abuse. Pairing a strong content in class with an adjunct online environment created an opportunity for students to discuss their newly found perspectives on pharmaceuticals within an online learning community. Each case study introduced a problem in pharmacology that students solved by integrating information from reading assignments, in class “graphic lectures” and “thinking activities” as well their own self-directed learning and collaborative group problem solving sessions. In addition, students discussed drugs and pharmacological concepts through the online bulletin board and chat rooms. For extra credit, students took online quizzes focusing on drug categories not specifically covered in class. The final technology -based project in the course was a authentic society based investigation of Pharmaceutical Concoctions. Multiple assessments provided data in content, processoriented and outcome-oriented contexts. Data from the online components (bulletin board, chat, email and the extra credit quizzes) in addition to in class assessments, created the opportunity for the instructor to develop an evaluation profile for each student in the course. Upon analysis by a qualitative rubric, the bulletin board postings demonstrated a progression in the “knowledge to application “ conversion of science and pharmacological concepts.