Asynchronous Video Streaming vs. Synchronous Videoconferencing for Teaching a Pharmacogenetic Pharmacotherapy Course

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2007 by Moridani, Majid

Objectives. To compare students' performance and course evaluations for a pharmacogenetic pharmacotherapy course taught by synchronous videoconferencing method via the Internet and for the same course taught via asynchronous video streaming via the Internet.

Methods. In spring 2005, a pharmacogenetic therapy course was taught to 73 students located on Amarillo, Lubbock, and Dallas campuses using synchronous videoconferencing, and in spring 2006, to 78 students located on the same 3 campuses using asynchronous video streaming. A course evaluation was administered to each group at the end of the courses.

Results. Students in the asynchronous setting had final course grades of 89% ± 7% compared to the mean final course grade of 87% ± 7% in the synchronous group ( p = 0.05). Regardless of which technology was used, average course grades did not differ significantly among the 3 campus sites. Significantly more of the students in the asynchronous setting agreed (57%) with the statement that they could read the lecture notes and absorb the content on their own without attending the class than students in the synchronous class (23%; chi-square test; p

Conclusions. Students in both asynchronous and synchronous settings performed well. However, students taught using asynchronous videotaped lectures had lower satisfaction with the method of content delivery, and preferred live interactive sessions or a mix of interactive sessions and asynchronous videos over delivery of content using the synchronous or asynchronous method alone.

Keywords: video streaming, videoconferencing, pharmacogenetics, distance learning, synchronous, asynchronous, Internet-based course, WebCT, virtual learning

INTRODUCTION

Many new schools of pharmacy have been established and many existing schools of pharmacy are increasing class size and opening satellite campuses in an attempt to alleviate the shortage of pharmacists. Distance-education technology1 such as online courses, interactive videoconferencing, videotaped lectures, and audio-taped lectures are used to deliver pharmacy courses to an increasing number of students.2 Distance education is defined as ''a separation in time and/or space between the learner and the instructor.'' However, in using these technologies, the quality of instruction and the ability of students to master course outcomes should be kept in mind and assessed as these technologies are used.3 Several studies have examined the use of synchronous videoconferencing in pharmacy education.1-2,4-13 Interested readers are referred to a recent study on the use of synchronous videoconferencing by Kidd et al.2 These studies mainly focused on and assessed synchronous videoconferencing as a content delivery tool and did not find a significant difference in the students' course grade among main and satellite campuses. For instance, MacLaughlin et al7 reported their assessment of using synchronous videoconferencing lectures delivered via Internet to multiple campuses at the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy and found no difference in learning outcomes of several pharmacotherapy courses between local and distant students. Ried et al assessed video streaming via Internet as a content delivery tool at the College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, and found that students on the founding campus and distant campuses performed equally well.8

The Texas Tech School of Pharmacy uses synchronous videoconferencing to deliver a large portion of the curriculum in the first, second, and third year of pharmacy studies to 3 campuses located in Amarillo, Lubbock, and Dallas. In response to shortage of pharmacists in Texas, the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy is opening a fourth campus in the city of Abilene (a 4-year PharmD program with identical curriculum). The School will admit an additional 40 students for the new site in fall 2007. This campus addition creates new challenges for the School for course delivery and efficient use of resources; therefore, the School is considering asynchronous video streaming instead of synchronous videoconferencing as a method of content delivery to all 4 sites. Additional reasons for the School's decision to move towards asynchronous video streaming instead of synchronous videoconferencing were to: (1) address the lack of faculty confidence in and satisfaction with the current synchronous videoconferencing system, (2) provide a means for students who failed courses to review specific content on recorded videos and achieve the level of learning required before taking comprehensive second-chance examinations; (3) enhance the student's abilities as self-directed and life-long learners; and (4) implement and/or experiment with a change in didactic course delivery as a strategy approved by faculty in the School's strategic plan to improve students' learning outcome.14

Regardless of the method of content delivery used (whether asynchronous video streaming, synchronous videoconferencing, or live lectures), in order to produce optimal learning, there must be a balance between the 3 main types of learning: the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.7,15 The cognitive domain involves development of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The affective domain deals with student emotions. This includes student's feelings, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, values, ethics, and attitudes. The psychomotor domain involves the development of motor activities, such as physical movement and coordination. This study asked questions related to the first 2 types of learning. The objectives of this study were: (1) to compare academic performance, as measured by mean average grade in the Pharmacogenetic Pharmacotherapy coursewhendelivered to multiple campuses by asynchronous video streaming in spring 2006 versus synchronous videoconferencing in spring 2005, (2) to investigate whether students are able to self-direct their own studies using asynchronous video streaming versus synchronous videoconferencing; and (3) to evaluate student perceptions and feelings towards asynchronous versus synchronous content delivery.