Animated Pedagogical Resources in Pharmacy: Effects of Prior Knowledge, Learning Outcomes and Classroom Dynamics

The rapidly changing landscape of pharmacy education has led to a need for fresh and creative pedagogical strategies that bridge the gap between academic knowledge and distinct professional practice. This study explored the effects of authentic learning material (ALM) on classroom engagement, academic performance and students' prior knowledge. The instructional materials were theoretically and epistemologically positioned within the frameworks of Constructivist Learning, Situated Learning, and Bloom's Revised Taxonomy using Quasi-Experimental Design. The results indicated that pharmacy students had from very little knowledge to basic knowledge about a range of pharmacy topics. The academic performances of the students over a Prelim, a Midterm, and a Final after the use of ALMs were statistically significant (p<0.001). The classroom observations averaged a 3.02 rating in the relevant checklist category, which indicated consistent and effective delivery of the instructional material from the instructors perspective. Learners' feedback demonstrated improvements in motivation and levels of engagement, and improved levels of interpretation of complex pharmaceutical concepts. Instructors identify the pedagogical nature of the animated material, and expressed frustrations regarding access to limited internet access and having to create the content in a limited time frame. Animation-based ALMs proved to be effective tools for activating prior knowledge, enhancing competency-based learning, and promoting active classroom participation. Pharmacy colleges should consider integrating multimedia in to their curricula, educating faculty on use of digital content creation and increasing their technical infrastructure to ensure the viability of these creative teaching modalities.