Assessing the impact of faculty research profile videos on students' perceptions towards research at a school of pharmacy

Background and purpose Innovative delivery of research education and training in pharmacy education improves student perception of, and involvement in, professional pharmacy research. The purpose of this project was to utilize a flipped-classroom video technology approach to introduce our Capstone research experience and to assess the impact of the video technology on student's perceptions of pharmacy research. Educational activity and setting Faculty recorded one-min videos that provided an overview of current research. Each video included a research introduction, explanation of student incorporation into research, and impact of research on the field of expertise. Students were assigned to review faculty videos. To assess impact of the videos on students' perceptions of research, t-tests compared five variables before and after students watched the videos. These variables included research curiosity, research interest, research inspiration, research motivation, and pharmacy research interest. Findings Across all students, no differences were detected. A statistically significant interaction emerged that suggested prior pharmacy experience may impact research curiosity, interest, and inspiration. Summary: Findings demonstrated that the impact of research videos on pharmacy students' attitudes and perceptions towards research may depend on students' past experiences in a pharmacy setting. Further research is needed to identify factors that impact students' perceptions of pharmacy research. The information from this study provided our faculty members with valuable insights that can be used to better prepare students in the laboratory, classroom, and beyond.