Does having a Sudden Change to Online Learning Impact the Learning/Understanding of Material in Pharmaceutical Studies?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of remote learning on a pharmacy student’s ability to learn and retain knowledge through the analysis of Grade Point Average trends and confidence using the information learned. Students and faculty were presented with two separate surveys regarding the switch to remote learning at Drake University. The survey answers were confidential and provided indications for understanding if students were learning and retaining information in the short term while remote. From the surveys, we found that students experienced more emotional stress and responsibilities once the school went remote. There was not a significant difference in the Grade Point Average earned throughout the semesters in which students were remote in comparison to in-person. More research on the long-term effects of remote learning will need to be conducted to determine if students were able to retain information while remote learning.