Pharmacy student’s engagement, performance and perceptions in a pilot study of cooperative learning applied to “introduction to the galenic pharmacy” subjec

Introduction to the Galenic Pharmacy (IFG) is a required subject of first-year (2nd semester) of Pharmacy Degree of the University of Barcelona (UB). This subject is very conceptual and descriptive and contains many terms with their corresponding definitions. It is considered the basis for the subjects of pharmaceutical technology that are studied in higher courses. Due to the absenteeism observed in recent years, the teachers team decided to make a change of methodology in order to recover the classroom presence and encourage the acquisition of deep knowledge. In this way, an active method based on cooperative learning was introduced as innovation teaching during the 2019-20 academic year. It is known that active learning with oral presentations improves student outcomes and skills. Cooperative learning is a generic term for various small group interactive instructional procedures. Students work together on academic tasks in small groups to help themselves and their teammates learn together. In general, cooperative learning methods share the following five characteristics: - Student work together on common tasks or learning activities that are best handled through group work - Students work together in small groups containing two to five members. - Students use cooperative, pro-social behavior to accomplish their common tasks or learning activities. - Students are positively interdependent. Activities are structured so that students need each other to accomplish their common tasks or learning activities. - Students are individually accountable or responsible for their work or learning. This proposal represented a substantial change in the methodology used so far for IFG (lecture-based classes). It replaces a face-to-face modality combined with autonomous work with a modality that combines face-to-face classes with directed non-face team work and autonomous work.