Assessing Student Perceptions of Blended and Online Learning Courses in Pharmacoeconomics, Management, and Leadership

Abstract

Objective: Blended learning combines traditional face-to-face education with online instruction. This learner-centered approach has been shown to improve student engagement, critical thinking, and performance outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess and trend student pharmacist perceptions of blended and online learning used to teach pharmacy management, leadership, and economics within a Pharm.D. curriculum.

Methods: Qualitative methods were employed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Second- and third-year student pharmacists were recruited by purposeful and snowball sampling and interviewed to a point of saturation. The interview guide was based on social cognitive theory (SCT). Themes identified through initial deductive thematic analysis were categorized by the three domains of SCT: cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors. The coding team additionally analyzed the transcripts using inductive thematic analysis to ensure no themes outside of SCT were missed.

Results: Twenty students were interviewed. Themes reveal perceptions that blended learning facilitated greater understanding of course material, increased motivation among learners, provided more flexibility in workload completion, and was a more enjoyable way to learn compared to traditional, didactic instruction. Furthermore, blended learning offered additional distinct advantages over traditional and online-only pedagogies.

Conclusion: Student pharmacists perceive blended and online learning positively and acceptable for the delivery of a pharmacy course on management, leadership, and economics over traditional didactic instruction. Blended learning may enhance innovation, leadership, management, and economics content delivery and the student learning experience.