Student Perceptions and the Impact of Mnemonics on Knowledge Retention and Application in Pharmacology Education

IF 3.5 4区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education Pub Date : 2025-07-30 DOI:10.1016/j.ajpe.2025.101480

Shankar Munusamy , Madelynn Aeilts , Carrie Koenigsfeld , Ronald J. Torry

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

To assess the longitudinal impact of using mnemonics in a pharmacology course for second-year pharmacy PharmD students on their exam performance and perceptions of mnemonics' helpfulness in knowledge retention and application in clinical settings.

Methods

Thirteen mnemonics were taught in a pharmacology course covering endocrine and autonomic pharmacology topics in the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 academic years. A nonanonymous survey was administered after exams to gather students' self-reported use of mnemonics to answer exam questions. On the end-of-semester anonymous course evaluation, students rated the impact of using mnemonics on their knowledge retention, application, critical thinking, learning anxiety, and confidence when answering exam questions. To longitudinally evaluate students’ perceptions of mnemonics' effectiveness, an anonymous follow-up survey was administered to the same student cohort at the end of a Therapeutics course, 5 months later.

Results

Mnemonics use significantly improved students' exam performance on 6 of 14 exam questions based on mnemonics-linked concepts. Students reported that using mnemonics improved their knowledge retention and clinical application (98.21% in 2020–2021; 97.56% in 2021–2022), enhanced critical thinking (89.29% in 2020–2021; 87.80% in 2021–2022), increased confidence during test-taking (96.43% in 2020–2021; 90.24% in 2021–2022), and reduced learning anxiety (80.36% in 2020–2021; 60.97% in 2021–2022). The longitudinal survey validated initial perceptions survey findings and reaffirmed that students find mnemonics memorable when they aid in comprehending and organizing concepts.

Conclusion

Mnemonic use enhances students' exam performance, and students perceive mnemonics as promoting knowledge retention, application, critical thinking, confidence during test-taking, and reduced learning anxiety.

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学生认知及助记术对药理学教育知识保留及应用的影响。

目的：评估在药理学二年级课程中使用助记法对学生考试成绩的纵向影响，以及助记法对知识记忆和临床应用的帮助。方法：在2020-21学年和2021-22学年的一门涵盖内分泌和自主药理学主题的药理学课程中教授13种助记法。在考试后进行了一项非匿名调查，收集学生在回答考试问题时使用记忆法的自我报告。在期末匿名课程评估中，学生们评估了使用助记法对他们的知识记忆、应用、批判性思维、学习焦虑和回答考试问题时的信心的影响。为了纵向评估学生对助记术有效性的看法，在治疗学课程结束后的五个月，对同一组学生进行了匿名跟踪调查。结果：助记术的使用显著提高了学生在14道与助记术相关的试题中的6道的考试成绩。学生报告说，使用助记法提高了他们的知识记忆和临床应用(2020-21年为98.21%；2020-21年，增强批判性思维（89.29%）；2020-21年为96.43%；学习焦虑减少(2020-21年为80.36%；2021- 2022年为60.97%)。纵向调查证实了最初的看法调查结果，并重申了学生发现助记法在帮助理解和组织概念时令人难忘。结论：使用助记工具可以提高学生的考试成绩，学生认为助记工具可以促进知识的记忆、应用、批判性思维、考试信心和减少学习焦虑。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 医学-学科教育

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

15.20%

发文量

114

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