Development and Evaluation of an Educational Intervention to Enhance Deep Learning and Study Skills among Pharmacy Students in Zambia

Background: Existing evidence suggests that most students undertaking health science programmes lack adequate learning and study skills. Aim: To develop and assess the potential effect of a deep learning and study skills elective module on undergraduate pharmacy students’ learning approach. Methods: A quasi-experimental study adopting a pretest-posttest design was conducted. An elective module dubbed ‘Orientation and Approaches to Deep Learning and Study Skills’ (OADLSS) was developed and experimented as an adjunct educational intervention. Forty-six (46) undergraduate pharmacy students were enrolled with 25 participants undertaking the OADLSS module and 21 participants constituting the non-intervention (control) group. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire was used to measure learning approaches before and 4-weeks after the intervention. Student’s t-tests and margins plots were used to compare approaches to learning within and across groups. Results: Participants that undertook the OADLSS elective module found it relevant and useful for enhancing their learning. Mean scores for strategic learning approach significantly reduced from 27.20 ± 1.94 (95%CI: 26.40 – 28.00) to 26.00 ± 3.09 (95% CI: 24.72 – 27.28, p = 0.0245) among OADLSS participants compared to controls (25.05 ± 4.38; 95%CI: 23.06 – 27.04 to 24.38 ± 3.28; 95%CI: 22.89 – 25.87, p = 0.5079). Deep learning scores minimally increased from 23.68 ± 3.26 (95%CI: 22.23 – 25.03) to 24.08 ± 3.64 (95%CI: 22.58 – 25.58) but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.5924) and did not predict high academic performance after the OADLSS intervention. Conclusion: An adjunct learning and study skills intervention produced minimal immediate changes to deep learning and studying approach. The potential influence of the educational intervention can be further enhanced by accompanying changes to the learning environment, educational strategies of the curriculum and educators, including assessment modalities utilised.