Design and Implementation of Computeraided Learning Module in Pharmacology for Vasoactive Drugs: An Experience from a State Medical College in Haryana, India

Introduction: In the Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum, one of the core competencies involves demonstrating the effects of autonomic drugs. It is a skill competency, and students have to learn to demonstrate the acquisition of this competency in a skill lab. Computer-aided demonstrations can enhance the teaching-learning experience and fulfill the learning objectives related to the effects of vasoactive drugs. Aim: To design and evaluate a Computer-aided Learning (CAL) module to teach the effects of vasoactive drugs. Materials and Methods: The study, being a curriculum implementation project, was conducted using a mixed methods study design at Kalpana Chawla Govt. Medical College, Karnal, Haryana, India over a period of one year from October 2020 to October 2021. Here, the impact of the intervention was measured through a multiple-choice quiz on the topics learned through CAL. The study population included all students undergoing the Phase-2 stage of the MBBS course at our institute. For skill acquisition in the cognitive domain, a video bank in the computer lab was made available to 120 undergraduate medical students. During practical training, in small groups, the training videos and animations were played, showing the effects of selected common vasopressors, vasodepressors, and their antagonists to the students. Simulated experiments on vasoactive drugs were shown to the students using ExPharm software (Free version). The achievement of learning objectives was assessed through a quiz. The perception of the students toward the new method was assessed through a questionnaire, and that of the faculty was evaluated with a Focused Group Discussion (FGD). Simple descriptive statistics, specifically the mean and standard deviation, were used to generate results. Results: All the students who participated in providing feedback on the module 113 (100%) had used CAL-based learning to acquire the skills. 60.7% of students (n=68) used both the animation and simulation components of the CAL to achieve proficiency in learning about vasoactive drugs. All teachers (n=5, 100%) during the FGD expressed satisfaction with the development and outcomes of the learning module, while highlighting the need for better CAL devices and methods. Conclusion: The CAL module developed for teaching and learning the effects of vasoactive drugs in experimental pharmacology was considered to be just about satisfactory.