Quantitative assessment of assisted problem-based learning in a pharmaceutics course.

OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of assisted problem-based learning (PBL) compared to a didactic approach in a pharmaceutics course. DESIGN Data were collected over 7 offerings of the course. In the first half of the semester about half of the students (PBL1) learned in a PBL format while the other students (PBL2) received didactic lectures. In the second half of the semester, the teaching methods were reversed. ASSESSMENT Performance on the midterm examination and a comprehensive final examination was used to assess the effect of PBL. Over the 7-year period, PBL1 students scored significantly higher on the midterm examinations. Scores on the final examinations did not differ significantly, but PBL2 students had a higher mean score on questions based on material from the second half of the semester. CONCLUSIONS PBL produced a short-term (weeks) improvement in learning and our results suggest that the effect may persist in the medium term (months).