The Impact of Small Group Case-based Learning on Traditional Pharmacology Teaching

Objectives: this study aimed to measure medical students’ perceptions of incorporating small group case-based learning (cbl) in traditional pharmacology lectures. methods: data were collected from third-year students (n = 68; 57% males, 43% females) at al quds university medical school, palestine. the students were offered a cbl-incorporated pharmacology-2 course after they had been taught pharmacology-1 in the traditional format during the preceding semester. student attitudes towards the restructured course were examined by a self-administered structured questionnaire. results: the majority of students thought that cbl was an effective learning tool for them (82%) and that it improved their learning skills (83%), independent learning skills (74%), analytical skills (70%), and their level of preparation for exams (75%). most students reported that team discussions addressed lecture objectives (84%). regarding cases discussed, most responders said that the cases were appropriate to the lecture topics (96%) and that the time allocated for case discussion was sufficient (86%). a large proportion of students thought that cbl improved their communication and collaborative skills (68% and 80%, respectively) and ability to work within a team (79%). conclusion: pharmacology-2 course restructuring led to a significant improvement of self-reported student satisfaction, motivation, and engagement.