ERIC Number: EJ835798
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jun
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1479-7860
EISSN: N/A
Using Peer Teaching to Support Co-Operative Learning in Undergraduate Pharmacology
Depaz, Iris; Moni, Roger W.
Bioscience Education e-Journal, v11 Article 8 Jun 2008
We report findings from the second phase of a study of co-operative, group-based assessment in Pharmacology for second-year undergraduates at The University of Queensland, Australia. Students (n = 285) enrolled in the 2006 Bachelor of Science degree program completed a group-based assessment task (weighted 10% of their course). Blended teaching strategies and the task design were modified to support group formation and peer teaching. A Jigsaw teaching strategy was adopted to support a co-operative learning task in which groups created and submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) or mini grant proposal based on the topic of Drug Dependence. Assessment was 7% from the NOI and 3% from an individual quiz. In post-assessment surveys, students reported more favourable attitudes towards assessment in which group members received the same marks than in a pre-teaching survey. Findings from the post-task assessment survey were that most students worked co-operatively around assessment. Most students reported that peer teaching help them to complete their assignment and their individual quiz (3%) more than working in "expert panels" or group-based writing. Overall marks were high: the mean [plus or minus] sd for the group-based NOI was 80 [plus or minus] 13% and for the averaged quiz marks, 73 [plus or minus] 13%. The need for more detailed study of group dynamics is recommended. (Contains 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Peer Teaching, Pharmacology, Cooperative Learning, Undergraduate Students, Group Dynamics, Foreign Countries, Communication Skills, Teamwork, Case Studies, Science Instruction, College Science, Toxicology, Student Attitudes, Student Surveys, Peer Evaluation
Centre for Bioscience, The Higher Education Academy. Room 9.15, Worsley Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT United Kingdom. Tel: +44-113-343-3001; Fax: +44-113-343-5894; e-mail: beej@leeds.ac.uk; Web site: http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A