Experiences in Teaching and Learning
Traditional lecture versus jigsaw learning method for teaching Medication Therapy Management (MTM) core elements

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Abstract

Background and purpose

To determine if traditional didactic lecture or the jigsaw learning method is more effective to teach the medication therapy management (MTM) core elements in a first year pharmacy course.

Educational activity and setting

Traditional didactic lecture and a pre-class reading assignment were used in the fall semester cohort, and the jigsaw method was used in the spring semester cohort. Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy requiring students to assume responsibility for learning, and subsequently teaching peers. The students were responsible for reading specific sections of the pre-class reading, and then teaching other students in small groups about their specific reading assignments. To assess potential differences, identical pre- and post-tests were administered before and after the MTM section. Additionally, grade performance on an in-class project and final exam questions were compared, and students were surveyed on perceptions of teaching method used.

Findings

A total of 45 and 43 students completed both the pre- and post-test in the fall and spring (96% and 93% response rate), respectively. Improvement in post-test scores favored the traditional method (p = 0.001). No statistical differences were noted between groups with grade performance on the in-class project and final exam questions. However, students favored the jigsaw method over traditional lecture and perceived improvements in problem solving skills, listening/communication skills and encouragement of cooperative learning (p = 0.018, 0.025 and 0.031).

Summary

Although students favored the jigsaw learning method, traditional didactic lecture was more effective for the pre- and post-knowledge test performance. This may indicate that traditional didactic lecture is more effective for more foundational content.

Section snippets

Background and purpose

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is a service that optimizes therapeutic outcomes for individual patients through a wide range of activities that can be provided by a pharmacist.1 These services may include formulating a medication treatment plan, performing a comprehensive medication review, providing verbal education and training, and additional support services.1 The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), along with several other

Education activity and setting

WUSOP is a private four-year institution, with two campuses. Principles of Pharmaceutical Care is a two credit hour class in the first professional year, which is taught synchronously at both campuses using videoconferencing technology. This course is intended to provide student pharmacists with an overview of pharmaceutical care and various pharmacy practice models. Students are introduced to the concept of MTM, including the core elements, as defined in the Medication Therapy Management in

Findings

The total study population included the 94 first year student pharmacists enrolled in the Principles of Pharmaceutical Care class. For the fall semester (lecture cohort), 47 of the 49 students enrolled completed the pre- and post-test, yielding a 96% response rate. In the spring (jigsaw cohort), 43 of the 46 enrolled students (93% response rate) completed both tests. Demographic characteristics from the two groups were compared (Table 1); the majority of the demographics were statistically

Discussion

This study found that students seemed to find value in the jigsaw learning method, but performed better on the post-test knowledge questions when the material was presented using traditional didactic lecture. However, there was no significant difference between the two cohorts in performance on graded assessments, including the in-class project and final exam MTM questions. Students perceived the jigsaw learning method to be beneficial with regards to cooperative learning, communication skills,

Summary

This study compared the jigsaw learning method to traditional lecture in first professional year student pharmacists learning about MTM. Students in the traditional lecture group showed more improvement on the post-test, as compared to those in the jigsaw group. There were no significant differences on other course assessments, including the in-class project and final exam. While the jigsaw group had significantly more previous pharmacy experience and familiarity with MTM prior to starting the

Financial disclosure/Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have any financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to report. This research was presented as a poster presentation at the 2015 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting.

Specific contribution to literature

There is conflicting information regarding the benefit of using the jigsaw learning method in pharmacy education. This paper compares traditional didactic lecture with the jigsaw learning method in teaching medication therapy management, using a pre- and post-knowledge test, course grades, and student perceptions.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Wingate University School of Pharmacy Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research Group for reviewing the survey instrument prior to distribution and for helping review the manuscript before submission.

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