Use of PharmaCALogy Software in a PBL Programme to Teach Nurse Prescribing

Figures & data

Table 1 Results of test for students one week after 1^st lecture or software presentation (p<0.007)

	Experience	n	Mean (%)	Standard deviation
Week 1 Group B	Lecture	8	45.13	17.89
Week 1 Group A	Software	13	26.92	13.31

Table 2 Results of test for students one week after 2^nd lecture or software presentation (p>0.174). Note that for Group A n = 11 (two students unable to attend due to covering for illness of colleagues’ at their own practices)

	Experience	n	Mean (%)	Standard deviation
Week 2 Group A	Lecture	11	57.73	13.30
Week 2 Group B	Software	8	58.13	21.03

Table 3 Results of test for students one week after receiving lecture presentation (p<0.05)

	Experience	n	Mean (%)	Standard deviation
Week 1 Group B	Lecture	8	45.13	17.89
Week 2 Group A	Lecture	11	57.73	13.30

Table 4 Results of test for students one week after receiving software presentation (p<0.001)

	Experience	n	Mean (%)	Standard deviation
Week 1 Group A	Software	13	26.92	13.31
Week 2 Group B	Software	8	58.13	21.03

Table 5 Results of test for all students (both Groups combined, p<0.02)

	Experience	n	Mean (%)	Standard deviation
Week 1 Group A+B	Either	21	33.86	17.33
Week 2 Group A+B	Either	19	57.89	16.44

Table 6 Results for test for all students who participated in both experiences (Lecture and Sofware)

	Experience	n	Mean (%)	Standard deviation
Week 1 Group B	Lecture	8	45.13	17.89
Week 2 Group A	Lecture	11	57.73	13.30
Week 1 Group A	Software	11	28.18	13.47
Week 2 Group B	Software	8	58.13	21.03

Table 7 Student questionnaire responses. Values are means ± SD of 20 responses. Scoring is based on an agreement rating detailed at the foot of the Table where 1 is strongly agree and 5 is strongly disagree

Q No.	Question	Mean	SD	Mode
1	The menu and objectives of each software package are clearly stated	2.55	1.23	2
2	I enjoyed the learning process	2.35	1.14	2
3	I can go at my own pace	2.90	1.48	1
4	I did not have sufficient background knowledge to follow the software package	2.90	1.37	2
5	I interacted well with the simulation	2.60	0.99	3
6	Misunderstanding or lack of knowledge could be easily detected	3.00	0.97	3
7	Presentation of animations, simulations and graphics is very good	1.85	1.09	1
8	Instructions on the simulation are consistent	2.00	1.12	1
9	The pace of the interaction is adequate	2.45	1.28	3
10	The simulation was a better way to understand than private reading	2.55	1.32	1
11	The simulation was a better way to understand than a lecture	3.35	1.31	3
12	The simulation was more useful than a tutorial on the subject	3.35	1.23	3
13	The simulation was difficult to use	3.15	0.93	4
14	I disliked this method of learning	3.40	1.05	4
15	The simulation could readily replace lectures on the same topics	3.40	1.10	4
16	The simulation gave me a better visualisation of the subject	2.10	1.17	1
17	The simulation presented material in an organised way.	2.00	1.17	1
18	I would recommend that the simulation be used again in the course	2.30	1.30	3
19	I would recommend the simulation to friends interested in the subject	2.25	1.37	1
20	The simulation motivated me to further study in some of the areas covered	2.55	1.36	1

1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = neither agree or disagree, 4 = disagree 5 = strongly disagree