Evaluating the impact of video-only and video-assignment approaches on student learning in the computer-aided drug design course

Pharmacy Practice

  • Reem AbuTayeh1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
  • Samar Thiab1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
  • Heba R. Mustafa1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
  • Maram Altah2School of Pharmacy, Al-Qadisiyah College, Amman, Jordan.
  • Rania Itani3Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon.
  • Rana Abu-Farha4Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.

Volume 24 Issue 3 Pages 1-7

DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2026.3.3635

Abstract

Background: Asynchronous learning is now an established part of contemporary pharmacy education, affording students flexibility and fostering self-directed study. Nonetheless, the difference in effectiveness between modalities using assignments for formative assessment and ones that do not is unknown. Objectives: The current study aimed to explore two asynchronous learning approaches: a video-assignment approach, which included formative assignments as part of the instructional experience, and a video-only approach which did not have assignments associated with engaging with the asynchronous instructional material. This study sought to learn more about students’ (1) knowledge acquisition, (2) perceptions of their learning experience, and (3) barriers that they faced during these modalities. Methods: A quasi-experimental cross-over educational design was developed using 44 pharmacy students enrolled in a summer course in computer-aided drug design, and two asynchronous topics were delivered: “Homology modeling and drug-receptor interactions” (video-assignment) and “Pharmacophore modeling and virtual screening” (video-only). After each asynchronous modality, students completed a brief knowledge assessment, and a survey regarding their learning experience and challenges. The data was analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and McNemar test. Outcomes: Regarding knowledge acquisition, students in the video-only group had significantly higher scores (median = 6.0/10, IQR = 2.8) than their peers in the video-assignment group (median = 5.0/10, IQR = 3.0) (P = 0.001). Perceptions of the student learning experience were similar between groups, with 93.2% percent (n = 41) of learners agreeing that the video-assignment approach positively contributed to their skill development and 95.5% (n = 42) felt the same way in the video-only approach. The two most frequently identified barriers were lack of teamwork (40.9%, n = 18 in video-assignment, and 34.1%, n = 15 in video-only) and technical difficulties. Conclusions: Knowledge acquisition was greater in the video-only method compared to video-assignment. However, there was sustained positive engagement in both the video-only and video-assignment approaches and perceived learning outcomes were comparable. The results from the current study suggest that assignments may not be required for effective learning in this context and further studies are warranted to better understand effective asynchronous teaching methods in pharmacy education in the future.

Keywords

  • Pharmacy Education
  • Asynchronous Learning
  • Online Learning
  • Drug Discovery
  • Drug Design
  • Jordan
Pharmacy Practice

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