Evaluating pharmacy students’ wiki-based collaboration

Abstract

Final-year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) students at The University of Sydney are required to submit a series of group-generated Problem-based Learning (PBL) cases. When submitted as word-processed, or paper-based documents, the cases are characterised by a fragmented approach, and academics often report that a patient-focus is lacking. Following a successful pilot in 2007, wiki format was introduced, with a view to encouraging a whole- patient approach to the task. In Semester 1 2008, students submitted their group cases on paper, and in Semester 2, via a wiki. At the end of each semester, students’ views regarding the two case presentation formats were sought via self-completed questionnaires. At the end of the year, and independent of the students’ course assessments and grading, an evaluation of the PBL assignments was carried out by an external evaluator. The overall performance using the wiki was much less than expected following the pilot. However overall scores indicated no significant difference between the two methods.