Validation of online learning in pharmacy education: Effectiveness and student insight

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness in terms of knowledge change pre- and post-online learning and to explore Malaysian pharmacy students' perception and acceptance of online learning. An independent web-based learning module was developed for a module on basic patient counselling skills for pharmacy students of a Malaysian public university. Out of a total of 124 students, 120 (96.8%) students participated in the study and completed an assessment and feedback survey. Students' knowledge scores were found to have significantly improved after completing the online learning activity, with a 47.9 +/- 25.1% (p < 0.001) improvement. Overall, more than 90% of students agreed that the online module was useful for new topic learning and revising, provided relevant content, which was arranged in a clear and logical manner, and thus facilitated their understanding. The majority of students reported to have enjoyed and satisfied with the online learning. More than half of them agreed that online learning was time-saving, allowed self-paced learning and improved their confidence level.