Preferred Learning Styles of Pharmacy Students at Two U.S. Colleges of Pharmacy

Creator(s)

John B. Bossaer, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow
Anne P. Spencer, Roper St. Francis Healthcare

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

7-1-2011

Description

Objectives: To characterize the preferred learning styles of pharmacy students at two colleges of pharmacy in the southeastern United States. Method: The Pharmacists’ Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS) was developed and validated as an instrument specific to pharmacists. We administered the PILS via email using Survey Monkey. Pharmacy students at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) or South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP-MUSC campus) were surveyed in 2007. Pharmacy students at the Gatton College of Pharmacy (GCOP) at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) were surveyed in 2010. An email was sent to each student on a Monday in the fall semester, followed by reminder emails each of the following three weeks. Students were not allowed to take the survey twice and participation was voluntary. Results: Response rates from MUSC and ETSU students were 48% and 71%, respectively. Pharmacy students at both MUSC and ETSU displayed similar preferred learning styles. The most common learning style at each institution was the Producer (61%), while the second most common learning style at each institution was the Director (30.5%), as defined by Austin. Implications: These results are the first to characterize the preferred learning styles of pharmacy students using the PILS. The almost identical results between both schools support the idea that the majority of pharmacy student in the southeastern United States prefer structured learning environments, which is true of both Producers and Directors. Future research assessing the relationship between preferred learning style and educational outcomes in different learning environments is warranted.

Location

San Antonio, TX

Copyright Statement

© American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. This abstract was originally published in American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.

Citation Information

Bossaer, John B.; and Spencer, Anne P.. 2011. Preferred Learning Styles of Pharmacy Students at Two U.S. Colleges of Pharmacy. Poster Presentation. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe755105