Blended Learning in The Context of Over-The-Counter Drugs: An Approach to Medical Pharmacology Education

Medical students often report anxiety and difficulty with assimilating the extensive pharmacology content required of them. To mitigate this we created blended learning events for students to build cognitive schemas into which they will integrate therapeutic drug knowledge. We developed an online series of modules that introduced pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics into the first year curriculum. Students were assigned to smallgroups of ~5 individuals. Modules included a case vignette, online didactic teaching video, over-the-counter (OTC) drug wiki assignment and cumulative concept map. Wiki assignments encouraged active learning with students answering 1 of 5 questions and providing at least 1 comment in response to other student posts. The questions were designed to not have neat, easily 'Google-able' answers and were delivered in the context of common OTC medications that students were likely to have experienced themselves. Wiki assignments also provided a safe environment for intellectual risk-taki...