Comparison of video instruction and conventional learning methods on students' understanding of tablet manufacturing

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Spring 2001 by Felton, Linda A, Keesee, Katherine, Mattox, Robert, McCloskey, Ryan, Medley, Greg

The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of video teaching to conventional learning techniques using a pretest/posttest questionnaire. The tablet manufacturing process was selected as the focus of the video. Students in the second professional year of the Doctor of Pharmacy curricula at the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy were randomized into three groups. One group of students viewed the tableting video and a second group read a section of text related to tableting. A third group watched an unrelated video and served as a control. Average pretest and posttest scores were calculated and the data were analyzed. Pretest scores among the three groups did not vary significantly (P=0.48). Only students who viewed the tableting video showed a statistically significant improvement in posttest scores (P

INTRODUCTION

In order for a pharmacy student to be a successful practitioner, he or she must understand fundamental principles of pharmacy practice. Comprehension of the rationale for various administration routes and the mechanisms of drug release from dosage forms enables one to grasp the concepts of bioavailability and therapeutic effectiveness. Understanding the principles of drug manufacturing is necessary to appreciate the release mechanisms of more complex drug delivery systems such as sustained- and delayed-release products. These concepts, however, are generally taught in a lecture style format, and students often have difficulty understanding the complex processes involved in tablet production.

Videotapes have been used in academic environments for various instructional purposes. Student performance in pharmacist-patient role-playing situations has been evaluated through the use of videotape(1). Videos have been used as recruitment tools to educate and attract students to the profession of pharmacy(2,3). Interactive television and videos have provided continuing education training for pharmacists and have been used as tools to educate patients(4,6).

Certain principles that cannot readily be observed in a conventional classroom setting may be demonstrated by using videotape(7). In a study conducted by Sause and co-workers, videotapes were developed to demonstrate extemporaneous compounding techniques and students viewed these tapes prior to compounding the preparations(8). Based on a survey, most students found the video instruction very helpful. However, no objective methods were used to assess student outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of video instruction to conventional learning techniques including lectures and reading assignments using a pretest/posttest questionnaire. The complex process of tablet manufacturing was selected as the focus of the video.

METHODS

A videotape was developed by the investigators to illustrate the various steps of tablet manufacturing, testing, and packaging. The techniques, tableting excipients, and processing equipment used in tablet production and testing were filmed to create a videotape that could be used as an instructional tool for pharmacy students and other healthcare professionals. Subjects covered in the video included function and rationale for use of excipients, powder sieving and blending, and tablet dedusting/polishing. The parts of a tablet press were shown in the video as well as a tablet press in operation. The video also depicted various physical and analytical tests performed on tablets, including weight uniformity, tablet hardness, friability, disintegration, and dissolution. The footage for the video was filmed at the Veteran's Affairs Cooperative Studies Program Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Center using a digital video camera (Sony DCR-TRV 103). The raw footage was edited using a Studio DC 10 (Pinnacle Systems) computerbased software program. The voice overlays were recorded at Phayland Playland Studios (Albuquerque, New Mexico). Background music and title slides were then added.

In order to measure the effectiveness of the videotape compared to conventional teaching methods in promoting students' understanding of the tablet manufacturing process, a multiple choice questionnaire was developed (see Appendix A). Various questions about tablet production and testing were included. The test questions were designed to assess students' overall knowledge regarding tablet manufacturing, testing, and packaging. The questionnaire served as both a pretest and posttest. The same posttest was given to ensure that the results of the study would be due to the content of the tableting videotape, reading assignment, or lectures and not derived from any outside sources.

The project was reviewed by the University of New Mexico Health Science Center Human Research Review Committee and was given exempt status. Subjects consisted of 70 second-year Doctor of Pharmacy students at the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy enrolled in the Pharmaceutics III (Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms) course at the time of the study. All study subjects were given conventional lectures on tableting, and then randomly assigned to one of three groups. The control group (Group 1, n = 23) was shown a videotape unrelated to pharmacy. A second group (Group 2, n = 24) viewed the tablet manufacturing video. The final group (Group 3, n = 23) read a section of text from "Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems" (Ansel, Popovich, and Allen 6th Edition, Williams & Wilkins, Media, 1995, pp. 186-187, 189, 190, 192, 202-204) pertaining to tablet production and testing. The selected text contained the same material that was presented in the tablet manufacturing video.